Labyrinth of Time
by Sylvia Summers
Summary: For Link, his arrival in Castle Town was simply to make a delivery and celebrate the defeat of Ganon, King of Evil. But when he meets a sweet girl without memories he has no idea that his life is about to change. Link could face monsters and immense darkness without flinching, but will he be able to hold his own against amethyst eyes and a sweet smile?
1. Chapter 1

**Chapter 1 - Arrival**

* * *

A petite girl with coppery red hair and lovely lavender eyes makes her way through the busy street towards the south gates of the large city, a small brown bag in her arms. Sighing, she glances up at the sky, a slightly worried look on her face. Though she has been in the city for a few days now, it was all still a little overwhelming. Castle Town, Hyrule, these words struck a chord with her, but she just couldn't seem to get past the fog that had settled over her memories. Though she _did_ know a few things, like the fact that her name was Mina and she was seventeen years old, there was a lot she didn't remember and that troubled her. The city felt familiar and yet foreign to her at the same time. Almost like she had heard stories or seen images of the city, but had never been there in person. It was all very disorienting to her.

Shaking her head, Mina exits the city's south gates, taking a deep breath to calm her troubled heart. Moving further down the steps, Mina takes a seat, setting the bag next to her and taking out the steamed dumplings she had just purchased. As she enjoys her meal, Mina watches as the sun slowly sets, the sky turning orange, pink and red. It was so peaceful.

Behind her, Mina could still hear the sounds of the city. Apparently there was some big celebration approaching and everyone was busy preparing for the festivities. The city was packed full of people either helping out with the preparations or waiting for the parties to start. Actually, she had been lucky enough to get the very last available room in the entire city. Although, she felt a little awkward staying by herself in a room obviously arranged for two. She also knew it was dangerous for a young lady to be by herself in such a large city and she would have felt a little better if she had someone there with her.

The manager from the inn made her feel better though. She was a kind middle aged woman who seemed quite fond of Mina. When she first woke on the stream bank with no memories, Mina was sure she would be in a lot of trouble, but when she examined herself and her surroundings she found several things. She was dressed in a long, tan gown with ribbons on the bodice and sleeve cuffs, on her feet were brown boots with small heels and her knee length hair was tied back with a white satin ribbon.

On the ground near Mina's side was a dark brown satchel with a long strap that she could only assume belonged to her. Picking it up, she examined the contents and found with a start that no matter how deeply she reached, Mina could not seem to find the bottom, though she did find one equally odd item. Inside the satchel was a beige purse with a thin, gold rope tying it shut. It had a flower design around the bottom with crawling vines snaking up the sides. It was pretty and when Mina opened it she was surprised to find it filled with rupees. On instinct, Mina removed the currency, closed and reopened the bag. To her surprise it had somehow refilled itself with the Hylian currency.

There was something very familiar about the items. With no one else around and no other items in the area Mina grabs the satchel, placing the purse and rupees inside, and slings it over her shoulder as she stands. After glancing over the area one last time, Mina picks a direction and begins walking. It seemed luck was with her as her feet lead her North, straight to Castle Town where she enters through the south gates. After that, her luck held, leading her inside and to an Inn with one room still available. The rest of the day was spent talking to the Inn Keeper, learning where she was and what was happening inside the city.

Mina had explained to the Inn Keeper, Miss Lana, that she had no memories from before she woke just an hour prior and asked if the woman might know her. She had been a little disheartened when the woman said no. In fact, she explained to Mina that everything about her, from her clothes to her accent, gave the impression that she might even be foreign. It made sense to Mina, though she still couldn't explain _why_ everything felt so familiar. Some things _did_ come back to her over the next few days. Little bits and pieces she glimpsed in her dreams, but they were small and fragmented, mixed with other, different memories; memories of a boy in a green tunic with blond hair and beautiful blue eyes.

The "memories" she had of this boy felt different, odd. It felt like she had been watching him from far away or through a pane of glass. She had watched him as he fought monsters and, at times, even became one – a blue eyed wolf. Mina wasn't sure if these "memories" were just her imagination or not. They didn't feel quite as real as the other memories. It was all so confusing and just thinking about it made Mina's head hurt. Shaking her head of these thoughts, Mina sighs again as she looks out over the fields South of Castle Town. A slight breeze blows though the area, bringing a smile to the girl's face.

As she gazes out over the land scape the sound of hooves against stone pulls Mina out of her thoughts. Moving against the side of the railing, she pulls her bag of food closer, making room for the other person to pass by, but the sound stops further up the wide stone steps. Mina hears a sigh followed by, "What am I going to do? I'm all out of rupees and the others won't be here for five more days…"

Mina tenses at the sound of the oddly familiar voice before slowly turning to look behind her. On the other side of the wide stone steps, perhaps ten feet behind her, was a blond male wearing a green tunic and matching hat. Halfway up the steps was a large flat area with low flower boxes to either side. The boy was sitting on the wide railing next to one of the flower boxes a few steps above Mina, his horse's reigns held loosely in one hand. The horse nudges his arm with his her nose, earning a few strokes from the boy. "What should we do, Epona?" he mumbles to the horse, Mina could barely hear him. "I guess I could try to find a way to earn rupees, but… I'm so hungry." He hangs his head. It seemed like he didn't even notice Mina.

 _I… I know him. He's the one from my dreams, but… We've never met before. I know we haven't. Perhaps…_ Mina glances down at her bag of food before taking a deep breath and gathering her courage. Standing, she walks over to boy, starling Epona who shies away. "Whoa," he tugs on Epona's reigns before glancing over at Mina, sitting a little straighter.

"Um, h-hello," Mina gives an awkward smile, "I heard what you said and…" Mina shifts from one foot to another before offering the bag, "Here, I bought too much so you can have some if you want."

"Uh…" he looks from the bag to the violet eyed girl offering it, "Thank you." He takes the bag and begins eating some of the still warm dumplings.

"Is everything okay?" Mina asks, glancing over at the horse, "You looked a little down."

"Oh, heh," the blond boy shyly scratches the back of his head, "Well, I was supposed to meet up with a few people, but I just learned that they've been delayed. We're supposed to deliver a statue to the castle."

"Oh?" Mina cocks her head slightly.

"Yeah," he sighs, "I'm here because I've already met Princess Zelda and the others thought they would make a better impression if I was here, but they won't arrive for another five days."

"I see," Mina gives him a sympathetic look. "Do you have a place to stay while waiting?"

He shrugs, seemingly embarrassed, "Not really, but don't worry. I'll figure something out." He gives Mina a cheerful smile, earning a small frown from the girl.

Mina can't help thinking of her room at the Inn with the extra bed, going unused. Looking down at her hands, Mina shyly offers, "Well, the room I'm staying in has an extra bed if you need a place to stay."

"What?!" he jumps up, "I can't do that, we just met!"

 _So we haven't met before. Then why do I feel like I know you?_ Mina couldn't help feeling a little disappointed, but she does her best not to show it as heat fills her cheeks. "W-well, I'm sure it'll be okay. I'm an excellent judge of character and I can just tell you're a good person. Besides, look at the clouds," Mina points towards the East where clouds were gathering on the darkening horizon. "It looks like it's going to rain and there aren't any available rooms left. Unless you want to brave the elements, there aren't many other options. Besides, I'm traveling here alone. It'll make me feel better if I have someone here with me."

"W-well," he mutters, scratching the back of his head. His cheeks looked a little pink as well.

Knowing she won, Mina extends her hand with a smile, "I'm Mina, nice to meet you!"

He smiles back, "Nice to meet you, I'm Link."

After that, the two make their way back into the city, chatting along the way as the sunlight fades. Mina tells Link that she has been traveling and has only been in the city for a few days and that she wasn't really used to being in such a large city. "It just makes me a little uncomfortable. My mother has always warned me about big cities like this, so having someone here with me makes me feel a little safer." At least, she thinks her mother did. The other night Mina _did_ somewhat remember a woman warning her against large cities and larger crowds. Mina glances back and sees Link stopped by a poster. Sighing, she walks back over, "Hey, you shouldn't just stop like that. I could have lost you… What are you looking at?"

"Look!" Link points to a poster advertising a shooting contest. "First prize is five hundred rupees!"

"Wow," Mina looks over the poster, "We can come back tomorrow and see about signing you up for it. For now, we need to head back to the Inn." Mina takes Link by the hand and begins leading him down the side of the street.

"If I win, I can pay you back for letting me stay in your room," Link grins, sure of himself.

"You don't have to do that," Mina sighs, "If you win, keep the rupees and buy yourself something you can use, okay?"

"But, it just doesn't feel right, you know, taking advantage of your kindness…" Link tries to argue.

"You're not, I have plenty of rupees so don't worry," Mina smiles, "Besides, like I was saying, I feel safer having someone here with me, so it's really okay." Link doesn't answer. Instead the two fall into silence as they continue walking. After a few moments, Link glances down at his right hand, which was still being held by Mina. _Th-thump._ Link feels his face heat up when he realizes Mina was holding his hand, though he wasn't sure why. Glancing away, he wraps his fingers around the girls, holding her hand back. Mina resists the urge to look back at Link when she feels his response, realizing that she never let go of his hand.

"Um," Link breaks the silence, "Are you sure you know where we're going?"

"Huh? Uh," Mina glances over at Link before looking straight ahead, "Yeah, I have a pretty good sense of direction. We should be getting close. The Inn I'm staying at is really nice, there's even a bathhouse!"

"Really?" Link looks over at Mina, "Do they have stables?"

"I think so," Mina leads Link around a corner and down a side street, "There's a building behind the Inn, but I don't have a horse so I haven't been there. After we drop Epona off, you should sign the register and get your own room key so the Inn keepers don't try to throw you out."

"Alright, but after that I want to go to the bathhouse, I _really_ need to bathe," Link sighs, looking down at his mud covered boots and splattered pants.

Mina chuckles, "Okay, I'll show you to the bathhouse, but you should drop your equipment off in the room first. There is a trunk at the foot of the bed with a key inside so you can lock it. Oh, there it is!" Mina points to a large, four story building farther down the street. There was a low wall surrounding the Inn with an iron gate in front, a stone pathway leading to the large front door with another path branching off to the right. Mina leads Link down the path and around the side of the Inn. Like she said, there was a stable behind the Inn where the patrons were allowed to keep their horses. Since it was late, there was only one person in the stables when they arrived.

After making sure Epona was comfortable, Link and Mina make their way back over to the Inn, entering through the back door. Mina takes Link to the front desk where she rings a small, silver bell, "Miss Lana?" Mina asks, leaning over the counter slightly. A tall, slightly round woman walks around a corner and over to the opposite side of the counter. "Hello Mina," the woman smiles kindly, small wrinkles forming at the corners of her eyes and around her mouth.

"Good evening," Mina curtsies to the woman then motions towards Link who was awkwardly standing behind her, "This is my friend, Link. He's going to be staying in my room with me."

"Oh?" Lana looks back at Link, "You look familiar, have you stayed here b'fore?"

"Uh, no," Link scratches the back of his head, "But about a year ago I was here in the city."

"Ah, I see," Lana reaches behind the counter and pulls out a book, "Well, just sign here and I'll get you a key to the room." The woman hands Link a quill and heads over a shallow cabinet. Inside were rows of hooks with numbers below them. Most were empty, but a few had a key hanging from the hook, a tag attached to one end with a number matching the number on the wall. Link looks at the register in front of him, finding the line with Mina's name and adding his own to the list of residents for her room. "Here you are, sweetie," Lana hands Link a key with the number '203' on the tag.

"Thank you," Link takes the key and smiles at the woman.

"Now, you b'have yourself, ya hear?" Lana looks at Link waving her finger at him in emphasis, "Miss Mina is a sweet girl, so don't you go and try anythin' funny."

Link jumps slightly at the accusation and Mina laughs nervously, "Now, now. Good night, Miss Lana." Mina takes Link by the wrist and pulls him over to the stairs leading to the second floor, "Don't mind her, she just… um…"

"Yeah," Link chuckles nervously, following Mina to a door marked 203. Using her own key, Mina opens the door and walks in.

"I'm using the bed on the right, so you can have the one on the left," Mina motions towards the two beds on the far end of the room. There was a small table between the beds and a chest at the foot of either. There was also a door in the right wall of the room. Motioning to the door Mina says, "That there is the toilet." Mina walks over to her bed and sits down in the middle. Link closes the door behind him and walks over to the free bed, opening the chest and removing the key. Mina watches as Link removes his equipment and places it into the chest, locking it when he's finished.

Mina hops off her bed and heads for the door, "The bathhouse is on the first floor." The two head back to the ground floor of the building and Mina takes Link down a hallway, "Since there is only one bath, the manager hangs a sign on the door to let people know if it is open to men or women that day. She also said that we can have private baths at night, since most people bathe in the morning or evenings. If you want to bathe by yourself, just hang an 'Occupied' sign on the door and people will stay out. There are soaps and towels you can use inside as well as baskets to put your clothes in." Mina stops in front of the bath door. "Well, I'll let you bathe now."

"Okay, thank you," Link gives Mina a smile and walks into the bathhouse. Like she said, it was empty. Just inside the door was a small changing area with towels on one rack and baskets sitting on shelves to the side. The changing area was kept separate from the baths by a wall, a curtain hanging in front of the doorway. Link strips down, grabs a towel and some soap and heads in for a bath.

He was expecting individual tubs, but the bath was a large pool, recessed into the floor with a three foot walkway in front and to either side. The room was pleasantly warm and a little humid. Stepping into the pool, Link winces slightly as he lowers himself into the hot water. The pool wasn't too deep, reaching to his waist at the deepest parts. There was a shelf halfway down the inner walls of the pool, creating a sitting area. Link washes quickly before sitting down, deciding to enjoy the pool a little.

Mina heads back up to the room as Link walks into the bathhouse. She lies on her bed as she waits for him to finish and come back up, wrapping her arms around her pillow. The realization that she had invited a boy she had _never met before_ to share her room without a second thought makes her stomach tighten. Sure, he was the same boy from her dreams and the strange little memories she had, but what did she know about him, really? _I… did I just make a huge mistake?_ Mina bites her lower lip, suddenly growing nervous. _But… he did refuse at first and he_ does _seem like a good person, so… it's okay, right? It'll be fine. Besides… It's scary to be here alone._

Mina closes her eyes, taking a deep breath to try and calm her pounding heart. She knew she would have to say something to him about her dreams, or at least the ones about him. _Maybe he can help me get my memories back._ This thought makes Mina nervous for a whole new reason. Mina tightens her hold on the pillow in her arms, trying to figure out her next move for several minutes. The sound of the door opening startles Mina out of her thoughts, causing her to jerk around to look back at the door. Link pauses in the doorway, seeing the girl's startled reaction, "Uh, sorry, should I have knocked?"

"Oh, no!" Mina hops up in bed, face flushing. She smiles at Link as he slips into the room, closing the door behind him. By now, it was fully dark outside and getting a little cold, so Link walks over to the hearth and builds a small fire to keep the room warm. Mina hadn't even noticed that the weather was starting to get a little colder. Perhaps it was autumn? Mina wasn't really sure.

"The bath house was really nice," Link says, making conversation.

Mina nods, "Yeah, I prefer to go a little later, after the other Inn residents have already gone to bed." Mina holds the pillow a little tighter, half hiding her face as she shyly admits, "The thought of sharing a bath with other women is just too embarrassing. I'm… kind of shy."

Link smiles over at the girl, "It's a good thing that the bath is open at night then." Mina nods and watches Link walk over to his bed, falling back with a happy smile on his face. Link looks up at the ceiling before glancing over at the red haired girl. "Hey, I was just wondering," Link catches Mina's attention, "Why did you offer to let me stay with you?"

Mina's face flushes slightly, "W-well, I told you before that having someone else with me helps me to feel safer."

"But Castle Town isn't a dangerous place," Link objects, sitting up, "I know some of the people can seem a bit odd, but they are all nice enough."

Mina looks down at the pillow in front of her, "I'm not really sure about that. A city is a different place for a boy and a girl."

"What do you mean?" Link sits cross legged, turning to face Mina.

Rocking slightly from side to side Mina keeps her eyes down, "Well… No one is going to harass you. You carry a sword and look like you can take care of yourself, but I… I don't have any weapons or a way to defend myself if someone attacks me."

"Why would anyone attack you?" Link asks, not understanding what Mina meant.

Mina shrugs looking over at the blond boy, "There could be a lot of different reasons why people hurt others. I suppose if someone was in trouble and needs rupees, then I would look like an easy target. I'm small and I don't carry any weapons, so they might think that I wouldn't fight back if they tried to take my purse, or they could just be angry and want to hurt someone. I don't know why people do the things they do." Link makes a face. "All I know is that it's scary to be here by myself."

"I see," Link mutters, "Then why did you invite _me_ to stay with you?"

Mina smiles, "I don't know, there's just something about you. I could tell right away that you are a good person. Plus, you needed a place to stay, so this works out for the both of us, right?"

Link blushes slightly, "I guess." After a pause, Link smiles, "Alright, how about this then: while I'm staying with you, I'll show you around Castle Town. That way, you won't have to worry about someone trying to hurt you and I can repay you for letting me stay with you."

Mina smiles back at Link, "That sounds like a great idea."


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter 2 – A Day Around Town**

"Hey, I was just wondering," Link catches Mina's attention, "Why did you offer to let me stay with you?"

Mina's face flushes slightly, "W-well, I told you before that having someone else with me helps me to feel safer."

"But Castle Town isn't a dangerous place," Link objects, sitting up, "I know some of the people can seem a bit odd, but they are all nice enough."

Mina looks down at the pillow in front of her, "I'm not really sure about that. A city is a different place for a boy and a girl."

"What do you mean?" Link sits cross legged, turning to face Mina.

Rocking slightly from side to side Mina keeps her eyes down, "Well… No one is going to harass you. You carry a sword and look like you can take care of yourself, but I… I don't have any weapons or a way to defend myself if someone attacks me."

"Why would anyone attack you?" Link asks, not understanding what Mina meant.

Mina shrugs looking over at the blond boy, "There could be a lot of different reasons why people hurt others. I suppose if someone was in trouble and needs rupees, then I would look like an easy target. I'm small and I don't carry any weapons, so they might think that I wouldn't fight back if they tried to take my purse, or they could just be angry and want to hurt someone. I don't know why people do the things they do." Link makes a face. "All I know is that it's scary to be here by myself."

"I see," Link mutters, "Then why did you invite _me_ to stay with you?"

Mina smiles, "I don't know, there's just something about you. I could tell right away that you are a good person. Plus, you needed a place to stay, so this works out for the both of us, right?"

Link blushes slightly, "I guess." After a pause, Link smiles, "Alright, how about this then: while I'm staying with you, I'll show you around Castle Town. That way, you won't have to worry about someone trying to hurt you and I can repay you for letting me stay with you."

Mina smiles back at Link, "That sounds like a great idea." Link grins back at Mina, happy to have some way of repaying the girl's kindness. Shortly after their deal is struck, the two decide to go to bed.

The next morning, Mina is the first to wake. It was gray out with sheets of rain falling from the shy. Mina glances over at Link who is still sleeping. Something about the sight makes Mina smile, her chest feeling strangely warm. Hopping out of bed, Mina heads into the tiny bathroom to wash up before strolling over to Link's bed. Reaching out, she places a hand on the boy's shoulder, gently shaking him. "Hey, it's time to get up. Breakfast is going to be served soon." The boy simply rolls over and continues sleeping. Mina puffs out her cheeks, looking down at the boy, "Hey now, come on! You're going to miss out on breakfast."

Mina sighs when she doesn't get a response. Leaving the boy to sleep, Mina grabs her bag and heads to the first floor of the inn. Inside the kitchen the innkeeper greets Mina with a wave, "Good mornin' sweetheart." She was busily finishing breakfast for the residents of the inn.

"Good morning," Mina smiles back at the woman, "Could I take a couple trays up to my room? Link isn't getting up and I want to make sure he gets some food."

"Well," the woman looks down at Mina. One rule of the inn was no eating in the rooms, but Mina was still hopeful. With a sigh she concedes, "Alright, just don't let anyone else see you." Mina smiles and gives the innkeeper a hug before taking a couple plates of food up to her room, making sure none of the other residents spot her along the way. It was a little difficult getting the door open, but Mina managed, pushing the door shut with her foot. Link was still sleeping, but Mina simply smiles and lays the food on her own bed.

Shaking Link's shoulder again Mina tries waking him, "Hey, come on. I brought some food up. You need to get up and eat before it gets cold, Link!" Mina gives the boy another, harder shake, finally receiving a response.

With a grumble, Link finally sits up, rubbing the sleep from his eyes with a big yawn. "I'm up…"

"Then open your eyes," Mina sighs, still leaning over the boy. When he does, the first thing Link sees is Mina's chest. Jerking back, Link bumps his head against the headboard, face flushing. Mina jerks back at Links sudden reaction, "Are you okay?" Mina reaches towards the boy's head but he quickly pulls away.

"I'm fine," Link gives Mina a quick smile before hopping out of bed.

"Okay…" Mina watches the boy, confused by his reaction, "Well, I brought us up some breakfast." Mina motions towards the food sitting on her bed. "We're not really supposed to eat in our room, but Miss Lana said it was okay this one time." Link takes a breath to calm himself while Mina moves to give the boy a plate of food. "It's raining outside right now," Mina points out, moving to open the curtains, "But once it clears up we can go back to the shooting range to see about signing you up for that contest."

Link blinks, remembering the poster he had spotted the night before, "That would be great." Mina smiles over at the boy before going back to her bed and eating her own breakfast. The two fall into a silence as they eat, thinking about different things. Mina glances over at the boy, wondering about his strange reaction. She glances down wondering what had startled Link so much, when a realization hits her, causing her to flush slightly. Though her bodice wasn't exactly low cut, when she bent over, you could still see down her dress.

Pushing the embarrassing thought out of her head, Mina decides to start up a conversation, "So, where are you from, Link?"

"Um," Link glances over, "I'm from Ordon. It's to the South of here, a couple day's ride."

"Wow… that's really far," Mina comments. _I… don't_ think _I had a horse with me. Walking that far would take a week at least!_

When Mina falls quiet again, Link decides to try and continue their conversation. "So, where are you from? It's just," Link rubs the back of his head, "I've done a lot of traveling and I've never really seen clothes like yours before, and since you said this is the first time you've been in a city, I was just curious about where you're from."

 _So, I'm really not from here after all._ "Well," Mina glances down at her lap, "I'm… honestly not sure."

"What do you mean?" Link asks, confused.

Mina sets her tray down next to her, laying her hands in her lap, "The truth is, I'm not from anywhere around here. A few days ago I… just kind of woke up next to a stream south of the city. I have no idea how I got there or which direction home is. I just sort of chose a direction and started walking. I had to have Miss Lana tell me where I was because I had no idea. Before coming here I never even knew Hyrule existed."

"That's horrible," Link gives Mina a sympathetic look, "Do you remember anything from before?"

Mina nods, "Some things, but it's kind of fuzzy. I remember having a mother, but I can't remember what she looked like. I know we lived in a small house, but I don't know its layout. I know we lived in a small town, but I have no idea what it's called." Mina furrows her brow, rubbing the side of her head, trying to remember _anything_ else. "I remember… I remember my name is Mina, I'm 17 years old… Um… I… I _think_ I lived with my mother, but…" Mina could feel a dull ache beginning to form behind her eyes as she forces herself to remember something, _anything_ else.

Seeing the pained look on Mina's face, Link sets his now empty tray to the side and walks over to the girl, putting a hand on her shoulder, "Hey, it's okay, you don't have to push yourself to remember things. I'm sure it'll eventually come back to you."

Looking up at Link, Mina slowly nods, "Y-yeah… I'm sure it'll come back." It still bothered her that she couldn't remember anything more about her family.

"Hey, why don't we head outside?" Link suggests, trying to distract Mina, "I think the rain finally stopped."

Looking out the window, Mina sees that Link is right. Nodding, she stands and takes both of their trays, throwing her bag over her shoulder. Mina leads Link down to the kitchen on the first floor where Lana greets them with a smile before taking the dishes, "Thanks for bringin' these back, hun."

Mina nods, "Thank you for letting us eat in our room."

Lana laughs, "No problem, just be sure to come down next time, okay?"

"We will," Mina waves back at the woman as she leads Link out of the inn and onto the street. She takes a deep breath, enjoying the way the air smells right after it rains, "So, are we heading to the shooting range?" Mina asks, looking back at Link who nods. "Alright, I think it was back this way." Mina leads them down a couple of streets. The roads were busier now and people were bustling around, going about their business. Link sticks close so as not to lose Mina. He knew where they were headed, but lets the girl lead the way.

"So, how long exactly have you been in Castle Town?" Link asks, stepping around a small child who was playing with a stray cat.

Pausing to let a cart through, Mina answers, "This will be my fourth day here."

"Do you like it here?" Link asks, following behind Mina as a small group moves past, headed the other direction.

"It's different," Mina glances back, "It's strange to see so many stone buildings. The ones from my home town were made from wood. At least… I think they were." Mina makes a face as an image of wooden buildings comes to mind. It felt familiar and comforting, unlike the strange memories she sometimes got of the city. Link moves closer to Mina.

"I think most buildings outside Castle Town are made of wood," Link offers, "My home is actually made from a tree."

"Huh?" Mina looks back.

Grinning, Link explains, "My home is a really large tree, hollowed out and made into rooms."

"Oh, that sounds really neat!" Mina smiles back, eyes sparkling with excitement. "I would really like to see it some time."

"Maybe you can come visit," Link offers, "I could show you Ordon once my business here is finished."

"That would be great," Mina looks back at Link as she walks. She almost walks right into a man carrying a large basket, but Link quickly grabs her shoulder, stopping her. "Oh, sorry about that," Mina quickly apologizes to the man.

"It's fine miss," the man stands a bit taller than Link, dressed in a white shirt and tight, black pants. He hurries by without another glance.

"Perhaps you should watch where you're going," Link suggests.

With a nervous laugh Mina nods, "Yeah." They soon arrive at their destination where a line of men are waiting to sign up for the archery contest. Link moves to stand in line and Mina decides to keep him company.

"So," Mina glances around at the tall, muscular men who are either waiting to sign up or practicing their skills, "do you spent a lot of time shooting? Because the competition looks pretty stiff."

Link laughs, "Don't worry, I'm pretty used to shooting moving targets, so I should do just fine with stationary ones."

"That's good," Mina glances back at the head of the line. There is a young man taking down names for the contest, as they reach the front of the line he asks, "Name?" keeping his eyes down on his papers. There is a box set at his feet and one of the city guard standing directly behind him.

"Link," Link answers.

The boy jots down the name, "Are you wanting to sign up for the archery or sword play contest?"

"Archery," Link grins over at Mina who smiles back. There are a couple other questions like what kind of bow Link will be using and what skill level. The boy takes down the information.

"That will be twenty rupees," the boy finally looks up. This catches Link off guard, he hadn't noticed the entrance fee. Mina quickly reaches into her bag and pulls out the money, the boy takes it and gives Link a number. "The contest begins in two days at noon, if you're late you don't get to compete. Next!"

Mina pulls Link out of line as he stumbles over what to say, "Uh, wh… Y-you didn't have to do that, you know."

Mina giggles, "It's fine, really."

"But, what if I lose, you'll have wasted twenty rupees!" Link protests.

Mina winks back, "Then don't lose."

Link's cheeks turn a pink color making Mina giggle again. Dipping his head, "Thanks. I promise I'll win and pay you back."

"It's fine, really," Mina protests, but Link looks at her with a serious expression.

"No it isn't, I should have noticed that on the poster last night," Link looks a little annoyed with himself.

Mina smiles, "It was dark and I'm sure the writing about the fee was small."

"Still," Link looks down at his number before tucking it into his pocket, "I don't want you spending all of your rupees on me. Even if you have some now, they're going to run out eventually."

Mina takes Link's hand and pulls him down a side street, "It's fine, really." Link falls quiet. Glancing around, Mina takes Link into a little empty alleyway before pulling out her purse. "What I'm about to show you is a secret, okay?"

Link looks up, blinking, "Um, okay?"

Mina shows the bag to Link, opening it to show him the rupees. Mina empties them into her satchel, showing Link that the purse is empty, she closes and reopens it. Link is stunned when he sees more rupees in the little purse. "When I woke up next to that stream, I found this bag with the purse inside it lying next to me. I don't remember where I got them, or even ever having them before, but I think they might be magic."

"Mina…" Link stares at the items in wonder, "This… this is incredible." He looks up at the girl who continues to smile.

Nodding, Mina hands the purse to Link so he can try it. When he removes the rupees inside the little bag they don't reappear. Seeing his panicked expression, Mina closes the bag and reopens it. More rupees appear like before. "How come it doesn't work for me?" Link asks, looking at Mina as he hands the items back.

"I don't really know," Mina answers truthfully, "I think, perhaps they were made specifically _for_ me, and that's why they don't work for others. Either way, it's nice to know I didn't steal them." Mina laughs nervously and Link frowns.

"I don't think you're capable of something like that," Link says in response to Mina's joke. "You're way too nice to steal."

Mina smiles, blushing slightly, "That's really sweet of you to say, but I can't really remember a whole lot so… I can't really be sure what kind of person I was."

"I don't think your personality changes when you lose your memories," Link argues, "A childhood friend of mine when through the same thing. She lost her memories, but she was still the kind person she always was."

"Really?" Mina blinks, looking at Link. The image of a girl pops into her mind, but in a moment it's gone. "Did she get her memories back?"

"Yes," Link smiles, "Just like you will. I'm sure of it."

Mina smiles at Link, wondering if the girl she just imagined was his friend, but pushing the thought away. "So, where should we head to now? You did say you would show me around." Mina reminds Link with a wink.

Link chuckles, blushing slightly, "W-well, how about we head to the market? I can introduce you to some of the vendors there."

"Okay!" Mina wraps her arm around Link's with a smile.

The two head towards the town plaza to look around the shops and visit the little stalls set up by the visiting vendors. There are a couple that Link knows, a man selling bombs, arrows and a few other like items and a woman selling potions and healing items.

"Is that a fairy?!" Mina asks, looking at a little pink thing in a wicker cage.

"That it is, dear," the woman smiles.

Mina frowns, "Why is it in a cage? That's so cruel."

The woman looks at Link who chuckles nervously. Putting a hand on Mina's shoulder, Link explains, "It's okay, really. Fairies are really helpful when fighting. They can heal you when you're gravely injured."

Mina looks up at Link, "Still… The poor thing is trapped in a cage…"

The woman laughs, "You have a soft heart dear, but really they do just fine. No one keeps them for too long."

Mina continues to stare at the little pink fairy before reaching into her bag and pulling out her purse, "How much?"

The woman and Link look at one another before the woman answers, "20 rupees."

Mina hands the woman the money, taking the cage. "You poor little thing," Mina looks at the fairy closely, "Do you want out?" Link watches Mina talk to the fairy. It responds with a few bell like sounds. Mina smiles at it, opening the cage. The fairy flies straight to Mina's face, pressing itself against her cheek. Mina giggles and the fairy flies around her, sticking close to her head. "I think she likes me."

The vendor woman watches, very interested, "Hm, you seem to have a way with fairies, dear." Link blinks, staring at Mina as the fairy flitters around her head.

Looking at the boy, Mina asks, "What is it?"

"Uh, nothing," Link scratches his cheek, nervously looking away, "Why don't we head to the next stall?"

"Okay," Mina smiles, looking up at the fairy as they walk. There was something about the tiny creature that felt so familiar to her.


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter 3 – Old Friends**

The vendor woman watches, very interested, "Hm, you seem to have a way with fairies, dear." Link blinks, staring at Mina as the fairy flitters around her head.

Looking at the boy, Mina asks, "What is it?"

"Uh, nothing," Link scratches his cheek, nervously looking away, "Why don't we head to the next stall?"

"Okay," Mina smiles, looking up at the fairy as they walk. There was something about the tiny creature that felt so familiar to her.

Link and Mina spend a few hours walking around together, looking at different stalls and talking to the vendors. Mina buys a few items, some fabric and cotton, a bit of wood and twine, thread. Finally, Link asks, "What is all of that for?"

Mina smiles, "Something for Thistle."

"Thistle?" Link asks, confused.

"It's her name," Mina motions towards the fairy who lands on her shoulder. Link blinks, looking at Mina as she smiles happily.

"You… named the fairy?" Link asks.

Mina looks at the boy, "No, she told me."

"You can understand her?" the surprised look on Link's face earns a frown from Mina.

"Is that… really so strange?" Mina asks, suddenly feeling self-conscious.

"Uh…" Link looks to the side, scratching the back of his head, "Not many people can actually communicate with fairies."

"Oh," Mina looks at the fairy, smiling, "Maybe it has something to do with where I'm from. It feels kind of… familiar."

Link smiles, "That's good, I suppose." Link looks at the clock tower. "Hey, why don't we head back to the Inn and get something to eat? It's almost lunch time."

"That sounds good to me," Mina smiles and wraps her arm around Links again and the two head towards the inn. The inn keeper had prepared a stew for the guests with warm bread and cheese. Mina smiles at the woman as she and Link walk into the dining hall. "Something smells good," Mina comments as they head towards the woman who was handing out the food.

"Thank you, a couple of the guests helped me prepare lunch today," Lana smiles as she watches Link and Mina take their share. Noticing the pink glow near Mina's head, Lana asks, "Is that a fairy?"

Giggling, Mina nods, "Her name is Thistle. A woman was selling her down in the market. I just felt so bad for her, trapped in a little cage that I had to buy her and set her free. After that she decided to stick around."

Lana blinks a couple of times, "Well, just be careful, dear. Fairies aren't pets."

"I know," Mina smiles up at Thistle before heading to a table to sit down, Link right behind her.

As the two eat, Link thinks about Mina's situation, about her lost memories. He remembers how difficult it was for Ilia to regain her own memories when she lost them when an idea occurs to him. Smiling over at Mina, Link asks, "After we finish eating, would you mind showing me where you woke up? Maybe if we head back there, it will help you remember something."

Mina glances up, surprised, "Uh, okay. I suppose we can go look."

After eating, the two take their dishes back to Lana and head out of the inn. Link grabs Epona and the two head towards the South Gates. "I woke up next to a stream to the south of here. The walk didn't take very long, so it should be close. I think I can find it again."

"Okay, lead the way," Link follows behind, leading Epona by her reins.

It's quiet outside the city and Mina pauses to take a deep breath. It was peaceful, just the sound of the birds and the few scattered people chatting in small groups or couples. Mina leads Link out of the little garden area and into the fields outside of Castle Town. It takes her a while to find the little wooded area that lead to the stream. Though the initial walk from the area only took Mina about half an hour, going back took nearly two, but they finally find the clearing where Mina first awoke.

"This is it," Mina says, walking around the small clearing. They were surrounded by trees on three sides and a stream on the fourth. It may not have been very wide, but it was deep enough that Mina was sure it went over her head, perhaps just over five feet deep. Mina frowns, furrowing her brow as she gets a flash of memory. _Underwater. Bubbles. Can't breathe._ Mina shakes her head, moving closer to the edge of the water.

"What's wrong?" Link moves closer, seeing the look on Mina's face.

"I… don't know," Mina mumbles, looking at the water. _Scales. Something grabbing, pulling. A body smaller than her own._ Something moves in the water and Mina kneels down to look. Link notices and moves to get a closer look.

A head pops out of the water, causing Mina to flinch back. "Oh, Prince Ralis," Link speaks to the Zora as he moves closer, "What are you doing here?"

"I was just swimming by," the odd looking boy answers, looking at Mina, "It's nice to see you're doing well, Miss."

"You… you saved me," Mina blinks, focused, "You helped me out of the water."

Nodding, the boy smiles, "Are you okay now?"

"Yes, thank you very much," Mina answers.

"I should be going," Ralis says, looking at Link, "If you get the chance, you should stop by Zora's Domain some time. It would be nice to catch up."

"I'll do that," Link smiles and waves as Ralis goes back underwater and quickly swims upstream. Link looks over at Mina who stands, staring down at the water. Something felt wrong. "Mina?" Link asks, standing next to the girl as she slowly closes her eyes, shaking her head.

Mina can feel pain slowly beginning behind her eyes as flashes of memory crash around her head. _She was walking, no, riding? There was a horse._ Mina begins to breathe heavier as the pounding behind her eyes grows. _There were other people. One, two, three of them. Two males and a female, perhaps?_ Mina grips the side of her head. Her ears begin to ring. _They were going somewhere. It was important. It was dark. Raining?_ Mina can feel her knees give out. _There was a bridge. It was small and slippery because of the rain. Falling. Water. Shouting, hard to hear over the storm. People calling her name._ Mina grips her head with both hands, trying to make the pain stop. She was panting hard now. Link could tell there was something wrong, this wasn't like how Ilia got her memories back at all.

When the pain subsides, Mina is breathing hard, her hands shaking slightly as she slowly lowers them to look around. Link was kneeling next to her, arm wrapped protectively around her shoulders, a worried expression on his face. "I…" Mina takes a deep breath to try and slow her pounding heart, "I was traveling with other people. I think we got caught in a storm and I fell off a bridge while we were crossing. I think that's how I got separated from them."

"I see," Link keeps his hands on Mina's shoulders as he helps her to her feet. "Do you remember anything else?"

Mina looks down at her hands. They were still shaking, "We were going somewhere together, somewhere important. I can't remember where. We got separated far upstream."

Link frowns, "I think we should head back to town." Mina nods and follows Link over to Epona. Her legs felt weak and Mina was grateful when Link helped her into the saddle. Taking the seat in front, Link aims Epona towards Castle Town and they begin making their way back at a slow trot. Mina sighs, wrapping her arms around Link's waist and resting her forehead against his back. Her head still hurt and she just wanted to close her eyes for a bit.

"Did it hurt your friend to get her memories back?" Mina asks, keeping her eyes closed.

"No," Link keeps his eyes forward, "Ilia just sort of, closed her eyes and things came back to her. It wasn't like that at all."

Mina sighs, "I see…" _Maybe… could it have something to do with the memories I have of this place? Could they be affecting my memories of home, or… making it painful to remember?_ Mina slowly opens her eyes and glances around.

"Are you going to be okay?" Link suddenly asks. His voice was soft and concerned, making Mina's heart flutter.

Looking at the back of the boy's head, Mina shrugs, "I'm not sure. I think so, but I don't think I want to try remembering anything else for a bit. My head still hurts."

"I'm sorry, I really thought this would help," Link tightens his hold on Epona's reigns.

Mina smiles, "It did, I remembered I wasn't traveling alone and that I was saved by that little boy. Thank you for being so worried about me, Link." She tightly hugs Link from behind and his face heats up, though Mina can't see the color on his cheeks. When they arrive back at the gates, Link hops down from the horse and leads Epona on foot, Mina still on her back.

"Do you want to head back to the inn and rest for a while?" Link asks from beside the horse.

Mina thinks for a moment before answering, "Actually, could you show me around a bit more? I'm feeling better and I really want to see more of Castle Town."

"Okay," Link smiles up at Mina who can't help blushing slightly. After stabling Epona, Link decides to take Mina to one of the places he visited often during his trips to Castle Town the prior year. Walking into the slightly underground building, Link announces, "Welcome to Telma's Bar."

"A bar?" Mina asks, looking around.

Taking the girl's hand, Link leads her towards the counter, "Don't worry, Telma is really nice. They helped Ilia a lot when we were here." Mina looks a bit skeptical as Link takes her over to a tall, robust woman.

"Well now, look who it is," the woman smiles at Link, "It's good to see you again, honey. And who is you're little friend?" Mina stiffens as the woman looks at her. Like with several other people, Mina gets a strong sense of déjà vu when Link introduces them. A few flashes of the woman come to mind, but Mina quickly dismisses them. Telma was an… intimidating figure and Mina moves to half hide behind Link. She lightly grips his sleeve with her free hand, the other still being held by the boy.

"Telma, this is Mina," Link introduces the two, "Mina, this is Telma, the owner of this bar."

"H-hello," Mina mutters, obviously intimidated.

Telma raises an eyebrow at Mina's reaction, "Nice to meet you, sweetie. And how is Ilia?"

"She's doing well," Link says, "Happy to be home with her father."

"That's good to hear. And, how exactly do you two know each other?" Telma asks as she begins to wipe off the counter, the fact that Link still held onto the girl's hand not going unnoticed by the bar owner.

"Ah, w-well…" Link rubs the back of his neck.

"We actually met yesterday, ma'am," Mina quietly offers, "Link is helping me try to regain my memories, but… it's not going well."

"Oh, like Ilia?" Telma asks, looking at Link, "Well, that's real sweet of you, honey. If you want, you can try going to visit Doctor Borville over at the clinic."

"Thank you, but I think I'll pass for now," Mina answers, glancing to the side.

Telma looks at her, "What do you mean?"

Looking down, Mina shifts from one foot to another, "Well, there are things I _do_ remember, like my name, how old I am and that I'm not from around here. That I have a mother and I'm from a small town, but… there are a lot of other things, details about my life and where I'm from that are missing. When I did get a few bits and pieces back, my head started to hurt and, well… I just don't want to push it right now."

"I see," Telma looks a little worried, "If there is anything I can do for you while you're here, let me know, okay hun?"

Mina smiles, "I will, thank you ma'am."

"You two should stay for dinner, on the house of course. It wouldn't be right to charge Hyrule's hero," Telma gives Link a wink, earning an embarrassed blush from the boy.

"Hyrule's hero?" Mina asks, looking between Link and Telma.

Counter cleaning forgotten, Telma laughs, "Oh, do I have a story for you!"

"Ah," Link tries to say something, but Telma comes around to their side of the counter and pulls Mina towards her, taking her over to the fireplace where there are a couple of free chairs. Mina nervously glances back at Link, but follows the woman. Mina and Link eat at Telma's bar while the woman tells Mina the story of how Link helped save Prince Ralis by escorting them to Kakariko Village. She starts by describing Link's fight with the large, pig looking creature called "King Bulblin" on a bridge, squaring off with him before racing across the bride, attacking with his sword and knocking him off the bridge after a few passes.

Then she describes the race through two monster infested fields, Link fighting more monsters on boar back while they try to set the caravan on fire and how the strange birds kept trying to drop bombs in front of their horse, but Link kept them away with his arrows. During the story, Mina kept getting flashes of memory, images of Link doing exactly as Telma describes, making it all the more exciting to hear.

Mina was on the edge of her seat by the end of the story, listening intently as Telma finishes her story, "And so we finally arrived at the gates to Kakariko, Link racing over to open them all while finishing off the enemies."

Mina lets out the breath she had been holding, "Wow."

"That story keeps getting exaggerated," Link argues, "It wasn't like all that."

Telma chuckles, shaking her head, "Oh, don't be so modest, Mr. Hero. You did a great thing and deserve to be recognized for that."

Mina looks over at Link, and expression of awe on her face, "She's right! What you did was so brave, you could have been knocked off the bridge yourself!"

Link rubs the back of his neck, obviously embarrassed. "It was the right thing to do. I couldn't just leave them to fend for themselves." Telma chuckles again and Link stands, "Anyway, it's gotten pretty late. We should head back to the inn."

"Alright, take care, honey. And come visit again while you're here," Telma sees them to the door.

"We will!" Mina smiles back at the woman and waves as the two head out onto the street. Mina and Link fall into a comfortable silence as they walk. The streets were mostly empty and it was quiet out except for the occasional late night traveler heading home or towards Telma's.

After a few moments, Link breaks the silence, "It really wasn't that big of a deal. Everyone keeps exaggerating that story each time it gets retold, _really_."

Mina giggles, looking over at Link, "I'm sure, but what a story! You've done some very impressive things, Link." Link doesn't answer for a few moments. Mina can see the color in his cheeks. Mina links her arm with his, walking a bit closer. Link glances over at the girl, giving an embarrassed smile. _It's so cute how bashful he is about this!_

Mina giggles again and Link asks, "What?"

"Nothing," Mina glances away.

When Mina and Link arrive back at the inn, they are greeted by silence. Most of the other tenants have already gone to sleep. "I think I'm going to go bathe before heading up to the room," Mina says, letting go of Link's arm and starting in the direction of the bathhouse.

"Okay, I'll see you upstairs," Link heads for the stairs while Mina heads down the hallway, Thistle accompanying her.

"That really was an impressive story," Mina whispers to the fairy as she hangs the 'Occupied' sign on the bathroom door. Thistle answers in her little jangle of a voice in agreement. Mina giggles again, "And Link's face was just too cute when Telma was teasing him." Mina smiles to herself as she strips down and enters the pool of water. _Link really is an amazing person. He has endured so much,_ done _so much, and is still the same sweet, down to earth guy. I suppose that's just how he is, but still._ Mina washes, taking special care with her long hair since it was so easily tangled.

After a while, Mina sighs and decides to get out of the bath. Standing, she wraps a towel around her body and moves towards the changing area. As she is about to move the curtain, she hears the door to the bathhouse open and close. Mina freezes on the spot, hand reaching for the curtain. A feeling of panic settles in her stomach and she quickly glances at Thistle before moving the curtain to the side. Standing by the wall of baskets was a tall man wearing a white shirt and tight black pants. He looks back at Mina and panic explodes inside her.

"You're the girl from town, the one who almost walked into me," the boy says, turning to look at Mina.

"Uh, um…" Mina shifts, pulling the curtain over to hide her body. In a weak voice Mina says, "I hung the occupied sign on the door. If you don't mind, could you please leave for a bit? I was getting out, so you can have the bath."

The boy doesn't answer, instead he looks at Mina up and down before crossing his arms, a smirk pulling at his lips. Thistle can sense how uncomfortable Mina is and does the only thing she can think of. Flying through a vent, she heads to find Link. Since he had to get his gear for Epona out of their room earlier that day, Thistle knows where to go. Flying through another vent she finds the boy lying on his bed, staring at the ceiling. Coming to stop right in front of his face, she tries her best to get him to understand, but he simply looks at the little pink creature for a few seconds before asking, "Hello Thistle, where's Mina?"

Grabbing onto the boy's shirt, the fairy tries to pull him towards the door. Link stares at her for a moment, confused. Trying another tactic, she tries flying between the door and him a few times. "What is it?" Getting frustrated, Thistle bangs on the door as hard as her little body will allow, flying between Link and the door another time. Realization slowly dawns on the boy as he asks again, "Where's Mina?" Thistle bangs on the door once more and Link is up and garbing the knob within the second. Following the fairy, Link runs down the stairs and into the hallway leading to the bathhouse in time to hear a scream.

A second later the bathhouse door flies open with a loud bang and Link sees a boy on top of Mina, pinning her down. Without a second thought, Link runs over and grabs the boy by the back of the shirt, throwing him into the wall. After that, everything happens so fast. Link is there, struggling with the other young man. Punches are thrown. Miss Lana, who had heard Mina's scream and the bangs, rushes into the bathhouse to find the boys fighting and Mina pressing herself against the far wall. After that, the fight is broken up and the boy is roughly taken away by Lana.

The bathhouse door closes and Link comes over to Mina. "Mina, are you okay?! What happened?!" there is a sound of panic in Link's voice. Mina opens her eyes and looks at the boy. His lip is bleeding, but otherwise he's fine. Breaking down into sobs, Mina throws her arms around Link's neck, shaking and crying. Link wraps his own around Mina, trying to comfort her. Sighing, Link pulls Mina to her feet, rubbing her back with his left hand, "It's okay, I've got you. You're safe now."

It takes a few moments for Link to calm Mina enough for her to tell him what happened, "He came in as I was going to go change. I asked him to leave, I told him he could have the bath, but… he just looked at me and said he wanted me to stay and bathe with him. When I said no, he kept insisting. When I told him to leave or I'd scream he attacked me." Mina starts sobbing again, "I was so scared."

Link gently squeezes Mina, "It's okay, Miss Lana is going to lock him in the storage shed and have the guards deal with him in the morning. He won't hurt you again."

Mina sniffles, looking up at Link, "Thank you."

Link smiles, wincing slightly at his split lip. Mina looks at him sadly, reaching for his face. "I'm so sorry you got hurt."

"It's okay," Link dabs at the injury with the back of his hand. He takes a step back from Mina and his face goes red. Link quickly looks away and says, "I'll wait outside the door while you change." Looking down at herself, Mina blushes as well, trying her best to cover what her towel can't. After Link leaves the room, it only takes Mina a few moments to throw her clothes on. Link is leaning against the wall when Mina exits the bathhouse. Lana is there as well, trying to tend to Link's lip.

"It's fine, really," Link protests.

Lana gives him a stern look, "You're bleeding. At least let me put a salve on it."

Mina clears her throat and Lana is immediately at her side. "Are you okay, sweetie? Did that filthy animal hurt you?!"

Mina shakes her head, speaking quietly, "No, Link arrived in time. Thank you. I'm just shaken, that's all."

"You just give the word and he'll never see the light of day again, I swear it," Lana has a slightly scary look on her face.

"Um, thank you? But I think the guards should deal with him," Mina looks over at Link, "I'm really tired, so…"

"Oh, right, you poor thing, you go right on to bed now," Lana pats Mina on the back and sees her and Link off as they head back to their room on the second floor.

Link keeps a hand on Mina's elbow as they walk through the halls, "Are you sure you're okay?"

Mina nods, "I think so." As they walk into their own room, Mina makes sure to lock the door behind them.

"Okay," Link still looks worried, but Mina changes the subject.

"Will you at least let _me_ put something on your lip?" Mina asks. Link sighs slightly and concedes with a nod. Going to her bag, Mina pulls out a small tin. "This will help it heal faster," Mina explains. Opening the tin, she moves close and uses the little finger of her right hand to gently apply a rose scented ointment to Link's split lip. The boy's cheeks turn a rosy pink color as he silently watches Mina tend to his injury. When the girl looks up from her work, their eyes meet. _Th-thump_. Link looks away quickly and Mina can feel her cheeks heat up as well.


	4. Chapter 4

**Chapter 4 – Reunions**

"Will you at least let _me_ put something on your lip?" Mina asks. Link sighs slightly and concedes with a nod. Going to her bag, Mina pulls out a small tin. "This will help it heal faster," Mina explains. Opening the tin, she moves close and uses the little finger of her right hand to gently apply a rose scented ointment to Link's split lip. The boy's cheeks turn a rosy pink color as he silently watches Mina tend to his injury. When the girl looks up from her work, their eyes meet. _Th-thump_. Link looks away quickly and Mina can feel her cheeks heat up as well.

Mina quickly takes a step back, turning away, she places the tin in her bag, "That should be good enough." Link nods and walks over to his bed as Mina heads to her own. "Well, good night." Mina says, glancing over at Link.

"Good night," the boy replies as he turns down the lantern sitting on the nightstand between the beds. Both lay quietly in bed, but neither can sleep. Link keeps seeing the image of that boy on top of Mina. The only other time he can remember being that angry was when Ilia or one of the kids from Ordon were in danger during the events of the previous year, and he had known them all of his life, but this girl… he had only known her a day and already he felt protective of her. Then again, she was so timid, you can't really help feeling protective of her. Link lays in bed awake for a long while, thinking. Sighing quietly, Link makes to roll over onto his side when he hears a startled gasp come from Mina's side of the room.

After waiting a moment, Link hears movement. Glancing over, he watches Mina crawl out of bed and move to kneel next to his waist. "Link?" Mina whispers, waiting for a response.

"Yeah?" Link whispers back, turning his head towards Mina. He can see her silhouette in the dark. She had her head down and was playing with her fingers.

"I had a bad dream," she mumbles barely loud enough for Link to hear, "Can… can I sleep in your bed tonight?" It takes Link a second to respond. He feels his face flush again as he lifts the blankets for Mina. Without another word, the girl crawls into bed next to Link. He has to move over slightly to make room, but once they are both settled, he hears Mina whisper, "Thank you." Link can feel the heat coming off of Mina's body warming the bed next to him. Though he used to sleep over at Ilia's house when they were little, the two never shared a bed, so this was entirely new ground for Link. He remains slightly tense until he hears Mina's breathing slow and he's sure she's asleep.

Link stares at the dark ceiling for a while, listening to Mina's breathing. He wasn't sure when he fell asleep, but Link soon found himself waking to the sound of birds chirping. This time, he is the first to wake and the position he finds himself in causes his heart to begin pounding. Mina was lying next to him, but that wasn't what caused his face to turn a bright red. While asleep, Mina had unconsciously grabbed onto Link so that his arm was resting between her breasts while her leg was lying between his.

Having to use the restroom, Link tries to squirm out of bed without waking Mina. He manages to move his arm out of her grasp, but when he attempts to slide his leg out from beneath hers, he ends up falling out of bed with a loud thud. Mina quickly jerks awake, moving to look at Link who was on the floor, his legs still half on the bed. "Are you okay?" Mina asks, looking down at the red faced boy.

"Fine," Link responds, quickly getting up, "Sorry I woke you."

"It's fine," Mina sits back, looking up at Link as he moves around the room and into the restroom. Moving back over to her own bed, Mina fishes around inside her satchel, pulling out her hairbrush and running it through her long hair. She has a tendency to toss and turn at night so her hair easily tangles. When Link exits the little 'water closet' he finds Mina brushing her hair smooth.

"So," Link tries to make conversation, "What would you like to do today?"

Mina blinks looking up at him, "I suppose… maybe look around the shops a bit more? I know everyone is setting up for some big celebration, but I don't know what it's for, so I really want to find out."

Link chuckles, "I know what it's about."

"Really?" Mina asks, lowering her brush.

Link nods, "Last year a man named Ganondorf tried to take over Hyrule. The anniversary of his defeat is coming up and that is what everyone is celebrating."

"Oh," Mina blinks, "Do you know what is going to happen? Celebration wise, that is. Will there be parties, shows, dancing, that kind of thing?"

"I think so," Link takes a seat on his bed, "I know there will be a dance that Princess Zelda will be hosting at the castle. Everyone is welcome to go."

Mina's face lights up, "Like a ball?"

"I don't think it will be that fancy," Link scratches the back of his head, adjusting his hat, "But I think there will be performers there to entertain everyone with musicians and there are supposed to be fireworks later that night."

"That sounds like so much fun!" Mina squeals, "Can we get dressed up for it?!" Mina is actually bouncing with excitement, her eyes shining brightly.

Link laughs nervously. He didn't exactly have anything 'fancy' to wear, but Mina seemed so excited, he didn't want to disappoint her. "Sure, I'll just have to find something to wear."

"That's not a problem!" Mina grins, "I need to get something nice too, so I can get us both new clothes for the dance!" Link nods, though he wasn't really comfortable with Mina paying for him, he just couldn't say 'no' to her. Squealing again, Mina hops up from her seat, grabbing her bag and Link's hand, "Let's go!"

"What about breakfast?" Link asks, being pulled along by Mina as they leave their room and head for the first floor.

Mina sighs, nodding, "Yeah, I guess we should probably eat before going out." They slow at the bottom of the stairs and turn towards the dining hall. The room was still busy, filled with the various inn residents. Lana was standing near the end of the room, the food sitting on long tables next to her. She was serving a few others when Mina and Link walk in, so the two head to stand in line. When they reach the woman she greets them with a worried expression, "How are you feeling, hun?" Lana asks Mina, serving her and Link their food.

"I'm okay, really," Mina smiles up at the woman, though the memories of the previous night still made her stomach tighten.

Lana nods, "The guards came about an hour ago."

Mina forces a smile, "That's good to know."

Changing the subject, Lana asks, "So, what are you two up to today?"

"We're going to go into town to get new outfits for the dance!" Mina replies, excited again.

Lana laughs, "I see! That sounds like fun."

Mina nods, "I can't wait! I've never been to a real dance before!" Mina hops slightly, "Or… at least I don't think I have."

Link laughs nervously, "Come on, Mina. We should sit down before you spill something."

"Okay, I'll show you my new dress when we get back, okay?" Mina smiles at Lana as she and Link go to sit.

"You need to calm down a bit," Link says, looking over at Mina as they find an empty table in a corner, "You're going to wear yourself out like this."

"I can't help it, I'm just so excited!" Mina hops in her chair, face beaming.

Link chuckles, "Alright, just know it won't be for another few days. There's no point in getting overly excited now. Just try to save some energy for the dance."

"I promise nothing," Mina says with a giggle.

After the two eat, Mina takes Link by the hand again and the two head out. Link has to hold tight to Mina's hand to keep her from dashing away. As they walk around the market again, Mina asks Link if they can head into a few of the actual shops. There are a couple set up specifically for the dance. Mina looks through one, then another without finding anything she really likes. She tries to find something for Link, but nothing really looks right. She wanted to find something in a forest green for the boy, but there wasn't much of a selection in that color.

Mina pouts as they leave the second shop, growing discouraged. "Are there any other places?" Mina asks, looking over at Link who responds with a shrug. Mina spots another, smaller shop settled in a corner. Taking Link by the hand, Mina drags him over. It wasn't as fancy as the other two and it wasn't nearly as busy, but Mina had hope walking inside. Heading over to the dresses, Mina looks through the selection. Link sighs quietly, waiting patiently behind the girl. He spots a young woman who finishes helping another customer before starting towards them.

Link gives her a polite smile as she nears the two. She opens her mouth right as Mina lets out a delighted squeal. "I found a dress!" Mina spins around, showing a long, light blue dress. It had dark blue lace around the bottom hem and sleeve cuffs with embroidery on the bodice and along the bottom of the skirt. The back laced up with a dark blue ribbon, matching the lace and embroidery. "It's perfect!" Mina squeals.

The shop woman smiles, "I'm glad you like it. My name is Iris, my mother runs this shop."

"Oh, hello!" Mina blushes, "I'm Mina, and this here is Link."

"It's nice to meet you both," Iris smiles politely, "Would you like to try the dress on? I could take it in for you if you'd like."

"Yes, thank you very much!" Mina smiles brightly as she follows the woman.

"I can help you find something too," Iris calls back to Link who follows along. Nodding, Link waits while Mina goes into a small changing room. "Are you looking for something to match your girlfriend's dress?" Iris asks, waiting with Link.

Link's face flushes slightly at the assumption, but Mina immediately calls out, "Actually, could you help Link find something in a forest green color? I think it would suit him better."

"Absolutely, I'll go look for something," Iris excuses herself while Link waits.

Mina exits the changing room with a wide smile on her face. She twirls around, the skirt billowing out around her. "What do you think?" The dress was an off the shoulder style, reaching to her mid-shin with sleeves reaching to her elbows. The back was a bit lower cut, showing her shoulder blades while the front was a more modest style. The bust fit like a glove and the skirt was wide and flowing. Link has to remember to breathe when he sees her.

"It… It's very… You look beautiful," Link says, face flushed.

Mina beams at the boy, "Thank you. It even fits perfectly~" Mina gushes, twirling again.

Iris returns, looking Mina over, "You look lovely." The woman compliments, smiling. "I found a few options if you'd like to come see."

"Yes," Mina takes a step towards the changing room, "Can I just change back real quickly?"

"Of course," Iris waits patiently as Mina changes back into her usual dress, walking out of the room with the new one in hand. Mina follows Iris over to the rack of green tunics. There were several that looked nice. Mina has to lay her dress down as she looks through the tunics, holding one up to Link every once in a while. Mina purses her lips, cocking her head to the side as she pictures Link dressed in the tunics. About half way through, Mina finds the right one. With a smile, she holds it up to the boy.

It was a deep green with gold embroidery around the cuffs and bottom hem with a thick, black belt complete with a gold buckle. It came with a pure white undershirt. It had ties around the wrists with a lace up opening on the chest. The pants that came with it were a soft black material with gold embroidery crawling up the sides in a vine pattern. "Go try it on!" Mina insists, pushing the items at Link who smiles nervously as he goes to change. "Does it come with a hat?" he hears Mina ask from outside the changing room.

"It actually does," Iris answers, sounding surprised, "Most people don't really bother with the hat though…"

"Could I see it?" Mina continues. Link hears Iris walking away as he changes into the outfit Mina chose. It fit well enough, though Link wasn't really sure why the undershirt's sleeves had to be so… puffy. As he exits the changing room, Iris returns with a hat matching the material of the tunic with a bit of embroidery around the opening. Mina places the hat on Link's head, smiling at the boy, "It's perfect!" Mina squeals, causing Link to blush yet again. "Do you like it?"

Link nods, "It's really nice."

"Do you have any shoes?" Mina asks, looking back at Iris as Link goes to change back into his usual clothes. The females talk for a few moments while Link takes some extra time before leaving the changing room. He's never really gone clothes shopping like this, so it was a little overwhelming. As he rejoins them, Mina immediately takes his hand as Iris collects the chosen outfit. The two head over to an area with nice looking shoes. They chose a set of nice, dark brown boots with polished toes for Link and light blue heals for Mina. Mina whispers something to Iris while Link helps carry the items to the counter.

"There is a shop next door that sells those," Iris informs in a slight whisper, "Though… you might want to go in alone. It's specifically for women so…" She glances over at Link out of the corner of her eye.

Mina nods, "I understand. Thank you for the advice."

"What is it?" Link asks as Iris rings up their purchases.

Mina blushes slightly, "Well, I just need a few other things for my outfit that I can't get here. Would you mind waiting here for me?" Mina pays for their goods and Link takes the bags.

"Why can't I come with you?" Link asks, confused. They hear a 'pfft' as Iris snickers, walking away to help another customer.

Mina shifts uncomfortably, "W-well… it's a shop specifically for women, so…"

"I don't understand," Link furrows his brow, still confused.

Face flushing, Mina pleads, "Please don't make me say it."

"Say what? What do you need?" Link persists.

Taking a deep breath, Mina sighs, "Underthings, Link. Underthings."

"Oh," Link's face turns red, "I'll wait here."

"Thank you," Mina hurries to the shop next door. She picks out a set of light blue, lace panties and a matching strapless bra. She also picks out a white garter belt and white thigh high stockings as well as a set of elbow length, white gloves and a light blue satin ribbon for her hair to finish off the outfit. Paying for the items, Mina exits the little shop and meets Link outside the previous store.

"All finished?" Link asks.

Mina nods, "Yep, do you want to go get some lunch before heading back?"

"Sure," Link offers his arm and Mina takes it. Mina smiles to herself as they walk, imagining how the two of them will look in their new outfits, growing even more excited for the dance.

"Do you want to drop our clothes off at the inn and then go out for lunch? I saw a nice looking tea shop while we were walking around," Mina suggests.

Link would have been happy with just eating at the inn, but it made Mina happy to go out together. "Okay," Link smiles over at Mina who looks like she's on cloud nine. The girl hugs Link's arm as they walk.

When they arrive back at the inn, Lana is busy in the kitchen preparing lunch so they head straight to their room, drop off their packages, and then head back out. "I promise, after today, no more splurging," Mina vows as they head to the little tea shop Mina had mentioned. Along the way, the two are slowed by a large crowd. Mina tries to stand on her tip toes to see over the sea of heads. She never realized just how short she was until that moment. Huffing, Mina looks over at Link. "Maybe we should try going around," Mina suggests.

The two turn and try heading another way. At that moment a tall, slender person in a loose fitting, red shirt and dark pants looks over at the two. All it takes is seeing the back of Mina's head and the person is moving quickly through the crowd. Grabbing Mina by the elbow, they spin her around, a surprised look on the small female's face as she looks up into the person's two toned, eyes. "Mina?!" the person has a raspy voice, sounding somewhere between male and female. Their hair was a dirty blond color, cut short and wavy. Their left eye was a bright green while their right was more of a deep forest color. Mina can see tears forming in the person's eyes.

Seeing this stranger grab Mina, Link forces himself between the two, standing in a defensive position. The taller person takes a step back, surprised, their eye twitching just slightly, "I will crush you between my thighs, little man," the person threatens in a low growl.

"Um," Mina blinks, standing behind Link and looking over his shoulder, "I'm sorry, but… who are you?"

There is a look of hurt on the person's face, "It's… It's me, Maeve, your big sister," Maeve reaches for Mina and Link makes a sour face.

"You're a woman?" Link asks, looking at the very masculine looking female.

"Crush you between my thighs!" Maeve glares at Link.

"Ah," Mina blinks, "Y-yeah… I think I remember."

Maeve pushes Link out of the way and looks Mina over. She gently takes the girl's face in her hands, relief on her own. Suddenly, the much taller girl crushes Mina's face to her chest, "We thought you drowned!" Maeve pets the back of Mina's head, the girl struggling slightly to breathe. "Haymidge, Reever!" Maeve calls out over her shoulder, "Mina's alive!"

"She won't be for long if you don't let her breath!" Link pulls Maeve's arm away, giving Mina a chance to escape from the girl's grasp. Mina stumbles back, gasping and Maeve glares at Link.

"Who the heck are you anyway?!" Maeve demands. She glares at Link who pushes Mina behind him again.

Two males come rushing over. One was about as tall as Link, though he was a bit thicker. He had red hair like Mina, pulled back into a ponytail reaching to his shoulder blades. His left eye was green while the right was blue. The other was just slightly shorter than Maeve (who stood a good foot taller than Mina) and had thick arms. His hair was blond and cut short with thick curls and his eyes were a warm brown. Both boys look surprised and relieved at the same time.

"Mina," the taller one reaches for Mina, though Link blocks his way.

The smaller one looks at Link, before turning to Mina, "What happened to you? We looked all day after the storm for you, but we couldn't find you."

Mina shifts from one foot to another, looking up at the group of strangers, "I'm sorry I… I woke up next to a stream about half an hour from here. I… I can't…"

"Mina lost her memories," Link explains, still standing between the three people and the girl, "She doesn't remember any of you." The boys look between one another, surprised, but Maeve continues to glare at Link.

Mina nods, "I've actually been here for a while now, about six days or so. I didn't realize there were people looking for me."

"It's okay," the taller boy smiles while coming closer. Link moves out of the way for him, "I'm your big brother, Haymidge. That there is your other brother, Reever and the boyish looking girl is Maeve." Haymidge introduces the three. "If you lost your memories, we can help you get them back."


	5. Chapter 5

Just a brief note here, sorry about the delay in chapters. I was having issues with my internet and couldn't post this chapter on time, but things have been worked out and updates should return to normal. To try and make up for it, I'll be posting chapter 6 a couple days early (right after this one). Thank you for your patience!

* * *

 **Chapter 5 – Realizations**

"It's okay," the taller boy smiles while coming closer. Link moves out of the way for him, "I'm your big brother, Haymidge. That there is your other brother, Reever and the boyish looking girl is Maeve." Haymidge introduces the three. "If you lost your memories, we can help you get them back."

Mina shakes her head, "I… don't really want to try. When we went back to the spot where I woke up, some stuff came back to me, but it hurt. _Really_ bad." The boy looks a little worried and sad at the same time.

"It's okay," Reever smiles, "We can try for a little bit and if your head starts to hurt, we can stop. Okay?" Mina presses her lips together, not really wanting to make a second attempt.

"Are we going to even _touch_ on who the heck this kid is?!" Maeve demands as she angrily motions towards Link.

Mina laughs nervously, "Um, this is Link. He's been looking after me for a little while now. He even protected me when someone tried to attack me."

"What?!" is the response from all three. Haymidge and Maeve's faces darken, but Reever looks more worried.

"Who was it?" Harmidge demands.

"The city guard took him away this morning," Link explains, "He'll be locked in the prison cells beneath the castle. Princess Zelda takes assault very seriously."

"Good," Reever walks over, taking Mina in his arms, "Are you okay?"

Mina nods, feeling a little uncomfortable, "Link came and saved me. I'm okay, really."

"That's not good enough!" Maeve was fuming, "He deserves to suffer for trying to hurt our little Mina!" Mina rolls her eyes, taking a step away from the three and moving closer to Link.

"Anyway," Mina tries to change the subject, "Link and I were heading to lunch, so…" Mina sighs, "Would you like to come with us?"

Maeve grins, "Good, we have a lot to talk about."

"So," Haymidge is the first to speak once they are seated at the little shop, their food in front of them, "Why don't you tell us exactly what happened and what you remember, okay Mina?" Though she was busy stuffing her face, Maeve was watching Mina, same as the two males.

"Well," Mina keeps her eyes down, "I remember bits and pieces from right before I woke. I remember being with three different people, you guys I think. I remember it was dark and raining. I know I slipped and fell off a bridge. I think I might have passed out after that, but right before I did I remember seeing someone else in the water. This person grabbed onto me and I'm sure he got me out of the water."

"It was Prince Ralis," Link explains, "He's the Prince of the Zoras."

Mina nods, "Yes, he was there at the stream when we went back there. He said hello and said that he was glad I was okay."

"That's good," Reever smiles, "We'll have to thank him somehow for saving you." Mina nods with a smile.

"Anyway, back to what happened," Maeve interrupts, "What happened next?"

Mina takes a deep breath, "The next thing I remember is waking up next to the stream, finding my bag and making my way here to Castle Town. I managed to find my way to the inn where Link and I are staying. Luckily, there was still one room left when I got there." Mina smiles, "Since then, I was able to meet Link, who has been very kind to me," Mina smiles over at Link who blushes slightly, "He's been trying to help me regain my memories. It was his idea to take me back to where I woke up to see if anything came back to me, and it did. The thing is, when my memories started coming back, my head started to hurt and we had to come back here."

Haymidge sighs, "That's really too bad, but at least you are safe and in one piece."

"What about you getting attacked?" Reever asks, "When and where did that happen?"

Mina blushes, "It happened last night, at the inn. They have a bathhouse and I was just getting out when a boy came in."

Maeve looks angry, "Did he at least get a beating for what he did?!"

"Well…" Mina glances at Link, "When Link came in he and the boy struggled a bit, and I'm sure Miss Lana, the inn manager, roughed him up a bit," Mina confesses, "She's really taken a liking to me, she's even letting me stay at the inn for free."

"What?" Link asks, surprised.

Mina nods, "Yeah, I paid for the first two nights, then Miss Lana said my stay was on the house since I was alone."

Maeve laughs, "Yeah, I'm not surprised." The others didn't seem shocked either, "You've always had a way with people. For some reason, they just like you."

"Not just people," Reever adds in, pointing to Thistle who was flittering close by, "Fairies too."

"Huh?" Mina glances at the little pink creature before asking, "What do you mean?"

"Well," Reever looks at Haymidge.

The older boy explains, "Back home there was a cave downstream from our farm. Fairies would gather in it, but none of us could go near them without them scattering, except for you. They would lead you right into the back of the cave where you would play for hours."

Mina makes a sour face, the image of a dark cave coming to mind, followed by little, multicolored lights. The memory makes her head throb slightly. "I see. I wish I could remember that."

"Yeah," Maeve smiles, "the first few times it happened, we would panic. After the fourth time, we learned to look for you there."

Mina smiles, trying to hide her discomfort, "What else?"

"Well, you're the youngest of the family," Haymidge explains, "We have two brothers older than us who are both scholars. You were always the baby of the family and the rest of us sort of 'doted' on you. You were always helping mother with the housework, cooking and sewing." Mina listens as they finish their lunch. She, of course, pays for the group who move out of the shop and onto the street. There is discomfort centered right behind her forehead.

"Where were we going?" Mina asks, "I think we were headed somewhere important, but I can't remember."

"We were actually headed here," Haymidge explains, "We are supposed to meet with Princess Zelda about establishing trade with our home country."

"Really?" Mina looks surprised, "But if we all lived on a farm, why would anyone trust us with this job?"

Reever laughs, "It's because of Sebastian, our oldest brother. He works as an advisor to our king and convinced him to send us as emissaries."

Mina's mouth opens in surprise, "That's incredible." It really sounded amazing it was just too bad she couldn't remember that piece.

"Yeah," Maeve looks proud, "It's because we are such skilled fighters. We are about the only people they thought could make the trip."

"Wow," Mina looks at the three, "That's really impressive. You guys must be pretty important back home."

"You are too, Mina," Reever adds in, smiling down at the youngest sister, "You were chosen to go, even though you can't fight. You're good with people and have a good sense of direction. You're just about the only person who can read a map, though Haymidge is decent enough not to get us too lost." The oldest boy glares at the younger one while Maeve laughs.

Mina looks down at her feet, "Yeah, but right now I don't think I could be much help. I don't really remember much about our homeland or our mission here. I don't think I should go with you to talk to the princess…"

Link listens to their exchange and makes a suggestion, "What if I go with you? Princess Zelda and I are acquainted, so it couldn't hurt."

The three exchange looks, "Couldn't hurt," Haymidge agrees.

Shortly after that, the three are forced to part ways. "We're camped outside the East Gates. There are a lot of other people camping out there in what looks like the ruins of an amphitheater, so it's kind of interesting being out there." They describe where they are camped and what their tents look like to Mina before departing, Maeve pausing to glare back at Link one more time.

"If you try to pull anything with my baby sister while I'm gone, I swear I'll turn you into a eunuch," Maeve threatens quietly before Haymidge pulls her away.

Once they are out of sight, Link turns to Mina and asks, "What's a eunuch?"

Mina shrugs, "I have no idea." Mina takes Link by the arm and begins heading back towards the inn. They had spent a few hours talking with the three and Mina wanted to go back to their room, her head was starting to pound now and she wanted to lie down.

Link looks down at Mina, noticing her face had paled some, "Are you feeling okay?"

Mina shakes her head slowly, "No, I… remembered a few things while the others were talking and my head is really starting to hurt. I just want to lay down for a bit."

"Okay," Link keeps an eye on Mina as they walk, opening the inn door for her when they arrive. Lana spots the two coming in and waves, only to stop when she notices the look on Mina's face.

"Are you okay, dear?" Lana asks, coming around to stand in front of the girl.

"No," Mina pouts up at the woman, "My head hurts. I'm going to go lay down."

"Poor thing," Lana rubs Mina's head, "You go on up." Mina heads to the room, leaving Link in the inn lobby with Lana. Turning to Link, the woman asks, "What happened while you were out?"

Link sighs, explaining about Mina's lost memories and how it hurts her to remember, "I wish there was something I could do to make her feel better."

"You could go talk to Dr. Borville," Lana suggests, "He might have a tonic that will help."

Link cringes slightly, remembering the small man with glasses he had spoken to about getting Ilia's memories back the year prior. "I don't think he'll want to help me. At least not without any money."

"Why do you say that, dear?" Lana asks as they head towards the door. Along the way to the clinic, Link explains what happened the year before; how Ilia lost her memories and how they tried to get Dr. Borville's help, but he wanted payment so Telma suggested showing him his tab from the bar. He obviously didn't respond well to that, but helped them in the end.

"I just don't think he'll want to help me now," Link admits, scratching the back of his head, under his hat.

Lana chuckles, "Well, I have rupees, so that won't be a problem. He is still a doctor, after all. He can't _refuse_ to help someone who needs medical attention."

They arrive at the clinic shortly after with Lana leading the way inside. They find the small man organizing vials along a shelf. He looks over and immediately spots Link. "You!" he doesn't respond well to the blond boy, "What are you doing here?!"

Lana crosses her arms, "Dr. Borville!" The woman's harsh tone catches the man's attention. "That is no way to speak to this nice young man." Lana puts her hands on her hips, "Link told me what happened the last time he was here and if you weren't such a crotchety old _thief_ he wouldn't have had to use the tactics he did."

"Th-th- _thief_?!" the old man stutters, "How dare you?!"

Lana gives him a harsh look, "You took a small statuette off of an unconscious girl with the intent to _sell it_. What would you call that?" His face turns red. "And if you don't want the city guard to hear about that, you _will_ be nicer to Link, who _could_ have reported you, but chose to simply go find the little statue and return it to the girl."

"I gave her medical aide. I deserved to be reimbursed for that!" Dr. Borville defends his actions.

"And you were," Lana crosses her arms again, "Telma forgave you your tab, didn't she?" He remains quiet, "And I'm sure that was worth _much_ more than whatever you did for the girl. So, _be nicer to Link_ , you hear me?" The old man grumbles. "You hear me?!"

"Fine!" Dr. Borville snaps.

"Good," Lana huffs, relaxing, "Now, I have a patient for you, and you _will_ be paid."

After a pause, "Fine, where is the patient?"

"At my inn," Lana explains, "She is experiencing intense headaches. Like Link's friend, she has lost her memories. They are coming back in bits and pieces, but when they do her head begins to hurt."

"I can't help her remember," the doctor quickly states, "There is nothing that can be done for that, but I do have something that will help her head." He turns away, walking over to a medical cabinet where bottles and vials are carefully stored. After rifling through it for a moment, he comes back with a small, brown glass bottle with a dropper built into the cap. "Just two drops in a glass of water, drink it down and she should feel better. I should still examine the patient to make sure there isn't another reason for her pain." The man grabs his medical bag, placing the bottle inside before heading for the door with Link and Lana following close behind.

Back at the inn, Mina is laying on her bed, pillow covering her head, Thistle resting on the side table. The little fairy is worried for her friend. "I'll be fine," Mina says through the pillow, "I just need to rest for a bit."

There is a knock on the door, and Mina hears it open, keeping the pillow over her head. There are several sets of footsteps coming towards the bed. "Here she is," Lana's voice says, "Dear, are you asleep?" Lana gently touches Mina's shoulder.

"No," Mina says through the pillow.

"Sweetie," Lana sits on the edge of the bed, "We brought Dr. Borville to come see you. Would you mind speaking to him?" Reluctantly, Mina sits up, lowering the pillow from her face. She flinches away when she sees the doctor. Mina looks up at Lana, a worried expression on her face. Lana smiles, "He's an odd little man, but he's a good doctor."

When he comes closer, Mina panics and tries to kick him away, "No, get away from me!"

"What?!" Dr. Borville hops back, barely managing to avoid a foot to the face.

"I don't want him to examine me!" Mina shrinks back against the wall next to her bed, "I don't like doctors!"

"Dear," Lana looks worried.

"Well!" the man looks offended.

"Besides, he stole from his other patient!" Mina says, pointing at the man, "The one with the little weird statue!" Link and Lana both look shocked.

Lana glances over at Link who whispers, "I… didn't tell her about that."

"Fine!" Dr. Borville looks offended. He stomps out of the room and Lana quickly follows, trying to calm the man. Mina makes a sour face, furrowing her brow. It's the same face Link has seen on Mina every time she tries to remember something. Mina closes her eyes, holding her head.

"How…" Mina huffs, rocking slightly, "How do I know that? Why… Why is that memory different from the rest…?"

"Mina?" Link moves closer, worried. He sits next to the girl, putting a hand on her shoulder.

Outside the room, Lana speaks to Dr. Borville, "I didn't know she was afraid of doctors. I apologize for that. Let me pay you for the trip and the medication, and you can go back to your clinic." The man isn't happy, but he accepts the rupees and hands the woman the medicine.

"I still think she needs to be examined," the man states, "But if she is going to kick then it won't be by me!" With that, he turns and storms away.

Lana walks back into the room, taking the pitcher of water on the bedside table, pouring Mina a glass and putting two drops of the medication into it. Taking the glass, she offers it to Mina, "Here dear, drink this. It should help you feel better."

Mina looks up, still in the fetal position. She frowns, but takes the cup and downs the water in three gulps. Cringing, she asks, "What was in that?"

"Something that will help your head," Lana explains, patting the girl on the knee. "Rest now, Link and I will leave you to sleep."

"Okay," Mina watches the two leave the room before curling up in her bed, suddenly feeling drowsy.

Lana takes Link down to her quarters. They both sit in her drawing room before she asks him, "Did you tell her Borville took you friend's statuette?"

"No," Link's eyes are wide, "I never said anything about that to her. She actually said that her memory of that was different from her other ones. I'm not really sure what that means."

Lana thinks, realization dawning on her face, "Perhaps… Perhaps it could be visions. There is a psychic here in town, maybe she is like her. That could be why it hurts her to regain her old memories."

Link quickly stands, "I'll be back later. I have to go speak to someone about this."

"Who?" Lana watches the boy as he quickly leaves. Dashing from the inn, Link heads for the East Gates. He looks for the tents Mina's siblings had described. When he finally finds the area they are camped at, he is panting hard. Haymidge is the first to emerge, spotting Link, he waves at the boy.

He waits for Link to regain his breath before asking, "Is everything alright?"

"Is Mina psychic?" Link asks, immediately getting to the point.

Haymidge raises an eyebrow, "What?"

"She knew about something that happened a year ago without me ever telling her," Link explains, "She had no way of knowing, and she said that her memory of it was different from the others. So Lana and I think she could be psychic and that might be why it hurts her to get her memories back."

At this point Reever had exited the tent he shares with Haymidge and asks, "What's going on?"

"Link thinks Mina might be psychic," Haymidge explains.

Reever looks at the boy, "Not that we know of. Why do you think that?" Link explains again why he thinks that is the case. Haymidge and Reever look at one another. "We should probably talk to Mina about that," Reever suggests, "If we talk to her about this, maybe she could explain further."

"I'm not really sure that's an option," Link scratches the back of his neck, "Lana gave her some medication to help her head feel better, so I think she's probably sleeping now."

Maeve walks out of her tent after listening to the whole conversation, "You drugged my sister?" She stares at Link. If looks could kill, he would be six feet under. "Why the _hell_ didn't you tell us it hurt her to remember?!" Link shrinks back slightly. Sighing heavily, Maeve pinches the bridge of her nose, "Doesn't matter… As for the other thing, there was a long while last year when Mina was acting kind of weird." The boys look at one another. "You guys didn't notice because you were busy prepping for this trip, but I saw it. She would zone out for long periods of time, just staring off into space. Sometimes she would have weird reactions like gasping, looking worried or excited, a couple of times she woke up crying and wouldn't tell me why. Maybe that's what it was all about."

Exchanging looks again, Haymidge speaks up, "Yeah, I think I remember that. Maybe… Maybe that's why she wanted to come with us so badly."

Maeve thinks for a while, "Wait, I think this whole thing started when Sebastian first mentioned Hyrule a little over a year ago. Mina got this weird look on her face and said she _had_ to come with us."

"Really?" Link looks at the girl, "Do you remember exactly _when_ it started?"

Maeve thinks, "About… a year and three months, I think. It was during summer."

Links eyes widen. _That's when Ganondorf first invaded Hyrule with the Twilight._ Link looks down at the ground. _Could that have something to do with Mina? Could she have been having visions of it?_ Confused, Link looks at the group.

"Why is this important?" Maeve asks, staring at Link.

"Well, around that time Hyrule was being invaded," Link explains, "The celebration coming up is actually to commemorate the day the invader was defeated. I think… maybe Mina was having visions about it."

"That would explain why she wanted to come with us," Haymidge suggests.

"What do you mean?" Link asks, "You said she was one of the people chosen to come."

Haymidge rubs the back of his head, "Well, actually Mina wasn't supposed to come with us at first. When Sebastian said where we were going, she got really worked up and kept saying she 'had' to come with us and that it was 'really important.' In the end, she convinced Sebastian to let her join the group."

"I see," Link thinks back to how he met Mina, the way she approached him on the steps, "I should head back. It's getting late and I still haven't had dinner."

Haymidge nods, "Bring Mina to see us tomorrow, alright?"

"I will," Link promises before turning to leave.

"Wait a second," Maeve takes a step forward, "You said before Mina had taken something, she isn't alone right now is she? You are _not_ going to be alone with her, are you?!" Link hurries away as Maeve tries to follow him back to the inn. He manages to lose her in a crowd before heading back.

"Welcome back dear," Lana greets Link with a smile, "Where have you been?"

"Talking with Mina's siblings," Link huffs, trying to catch his breath.

"Oh?" Lana takes the boy into the kitchen. The other residents have already eaten and the dining hall was currently being cleaned up. "How was it?"

Link cringes slightly, taking a seat in the kitchen while Lana hands him a plate, "Mina's brothers seem nice, but her sister, Maeve, hates me. She actually chased after me when I tried coming back here." Lana laughs and Link describes their conversation, "I think she was having visions of Hyrule and that's why she felt she had to come here. I think… maybe there is a reason for it. Maybe she is meant to be here."

Lana looks at Link, face serious, "Those are a lot of assumptions, dear. I think the only way for us to know for sure is for Mina to regain her memories. Until then, we'll just have to be patient." Link nods, eating his dinner in silence. Lana stands and begins cleaning up, taking Link's dishes when he finishes. "Get some rest, dear."

Link nods, "Good night, Miss Lana."

"Good night," Lana watches Link exit the kitchen.

Link heads up to the room, entering quietly. He looks over at Mina. She was sleeping heavily with the pillow over her head and the blankets balled beneath her. Smiling to himself, Link walks over and gently moves the girl, covering her and laying the pillow under her head. Link brushes a strand of copper hair out of Mina's face, heart suddenly beating faster as he watches her sleep. _She looks so peaceful._ Link sighs quietly, moving away from Mina and over to his own bed. He looks at her from across the room, watching her chest rise and fall slowly before crawling beneath his own blankets to sleep.


	6. Chapter 6

Just a brief note here, sorry about the delay in chapters. I was having trouble with my internet and couldn't post the last chapter on time, but things have been worked out and updates will return as usual for chapter 7. Thank you for your patience!

* * *

 **Chapter 6 – Victory and Upset**

Link heads up to the room, entering quietly. He looks over at Mina. She was sleeping heavily with the pillow over her head and the blankets balled beneath her. Smiling to himself, Link walks over and gently moves the girl, covering her and laying the pillow under her head. Link brushes a strand of copper hair out of Mina's face, heart suddenly beating faster as he watches her sleeping face. _She looks so peaceful._ Link sighs quietly, moving away from Mina and over to his own bed. He looks at her from across the room, watching her chest rise and fall slowly before crawling beneath his own blankets to sleep.

The next morning, Mina wakes up feeling well rested. She sits up with a wide yawn, looking over at Link. She smiles wide, getting up and walking over to the boy. Mina pokes him several times on the cheek. "Hey, come on, wake up Link," Mina sighs when the blond boy rolls over. Instead, Mina walks over to her bed. She had bought several items the other day in town and now she finally finishes the project she had decided to start: making a little bed for Thistle. Mina hums to herself as she crafts a little box/bedframe out of wood and twine, then makes a mattress out of cloth, cotton and thread, just big enough to fit inside the box. Mina even crafts a little blanket and pillow for Thistle.

Placing the bed inside the little wicker cage, Mina shows it to Thistle who looks pleased. Mina even fits little curtains on the cage for privacy. As she finishes her task, Link rolls over, opening his eyes. "Ah, Mina," Link sits up and rubs the sleep from his eyes with a yawn, "Good morning."

"Good morning, Link," Mina smiles, "Look, I made a little room for Thistle!" Mina shows Link the little rigged room and he smiles.

"That's nice," Link glances up at Mina who beams, "I… I talked to Lana about your memory loss last night and we have a theory. Would you like to hear it?"

"Sure," Mina sits down on her bed.

Link takes a deep breath, realizing how silly he was about to sound, "Is it possible, even a little, that you had visions before coming here?"

Mina purses her lips, cocking her head to the side, "What do you mean?"

Link sits cross legged, "Well, what you said about Dr. Borville yesterday, about him taking Ilia's statuette and what you said about the memory being different. There is no way you could have known about the statue. When I talked to Lana about it, she said there was a psychic here in Castle Town and she suggested that maybe you are psychic too. After that I talked to your siblings…"

"You went to talk to my siblings?" Mina asks though it felt weird to call them that.

Link nods, "Yeah, Maeve said that a year ago you would 'zone out' and have strange reactions and that you were really eager to come here to Hyrule. We think that _maybe_ you could have been having visions about Hyrule before coming here. Do you think that could be possible?"

Mina thinks, rubbing the side of her head, concentrating, "It… It sounds… possible. I mean, I felt like I should have known Telma when we went to her bar and when you mentioned Ilia for the first time it… It felt like I should know about her. There are other things too. I keep getting the feeling like… like I _know_ this place. Like I've been here in Castle Town _before_ , but I know that's not possible. It feels like… like I'm forgetting things the longer I'm here, really important things, but there's no way to keep them in my head."

Link crosses the room to sit next to Mina, placing a hand on her shoulder. "Do you think, if we walked around, if _you_ lead us through the town, things might feel familiar to you? That you might remember something?"

Mina presses her lips together, worried, "We could try."

"Okay. But if your head starts to hurt you have to tell me immediately, okay?" Link gives Mina a serious look, "Please don't strain yourself like yesterday."

"Okay," Mina agrees. The two stand and head out, grabbing something to eat from the kitchen before heading into town. After a while, Mina remembers something, though it has nothing to do with her previous memories, "The shooting contest!" Mina looks at Link, "It's today at noon!"

Link looks surprised, reaching into his pocket, he pulls out the number slip, "Right, I forgot about that."

"We should go get your bow and head to the ring," Mina suggests, Link nods in agreement. A half hour later, they are arriving at the arena where the contest is being held. Link goes to check in, leaving Mina standing to the side.

"Mina, what are you doing here?" Reever walks over to the girl, a surprised look on his face.

It takes her a moment to remember his name, "Hello Reever, I'm actually here with Link. He's in the contest."

"Seriously?" Maeve speaks up, walking over with Haymidge, "The little guy is going to be _competing_?"

Mina presses her lips together, "Yes."

Maeve laughs, "Now, _that's_ a funny image! I can't wait to see him lose to Reever!" Maeve laughs again.

"Could you please be a little nicer to Link?" Mina asks, sighing, "He's my friend and I don't like you threatening or teasing him."

Maeve looks surprised, "Uh… s-sure? I… suppose I could try."

"Thank you," Mina looks over as Link joins them. "It looks like Reever is going to be in the competition as well."

"Oh?" Link looks surprised, "Well, good luck then."

"Good luck to you too," Reever nods at Link before heading off to sign in. Link stands quietly while Haymidge and Maeve speak to Mina.

"How are you feeling today?" Maeve asks.

Mina smiles, "I'm fine, the medicine Miss Lana gave me really helped."

"You shouldn't just take whatever they give you, they could have drugged you!" Maeve stares at Mina, obviously upset, "You're way to trusting, Mina! They could have tried to do stuff to you."

Mina rolls her eyes, "Miss Lana has been very kind to me. She has taken care of me from the beginning. She would never let anything happen to me, not to mention, I have Thistle here. If they tried something, she would either wake me up or tell me."

Maeve grows quiet for a moment. Haymidge is the one to ask, "Thistle?" Mina simply points to the fairy by her head. They continue like that for a bit longer until Maeve changes the subject, "Why didn't you tell us before that getting your memories back hurt?"

Mina looks a little guilty, "You guys really wanted to help me remember things and I didn't want to disappoint you."

"You still should have told us, we would have understood," Haymidge tells the girl, giving her a hug. Mina awkwardly hugs back until he lets her go.

Reever, who had returned a while ago, asks, "How are we supposed to help you get your memories back if it causes you pain?"

Mina shrugs, "Slowly, I suppose. You'll have to be patient with me."

"Don't worry," Maeve wraps her arm around Mina's shoulders, not noticing how uncomfortable it made her younger sister, "Once we go home, I'm sure you'll be able to remember everything. I think it would be better to do it quickly and not prolong the pain." Mina frowns, not wanting to tell them she had no intention of going back. There is a stage at the far end of the field where the announcer steps up.

The man calls everyone's attention, "Hello and welcome to this year's Hyrule shooting contest! At this time, I would like everyone who is in the contest to come to the field while the audience makes their way to the stands!" Reever makes his way to the field while the other two head towards the stands. Mina waits a bit with Link until they leave.

"Good luck out there," Mina smiles up at Link who returns it awkwardly.

"Thanks," Link blushes slightly.

Feeling bold, Mina steps away, calling back over her shoulder, "Hit a bulls-eye for me, okay?" Link's face flushes a bit deeper as he nods, waving back. Mina hurries to find a seat as the announcer calls out for the first competitor, saying his name and some basic information. Mina watches the competition, chewing her lip nervously. She watches the announcer's assistant as she places the scores on the big board next to the stage, some ranking fairly high. When Reever's turn comes up, Mina can hear Maeve and Haymidge cheering just above and slightly to the left of her. Mina looks back at them before turning her eyes to the field.

Reever does very well at the contest, shooting a number of perfects, though he does miss one target, the one that the rigged up to move across the field. Mina watches nervously, on the edge of her seat as Link's turn comes up. The boy looks back at the stands, spotting Mina and waving at the girl who eagerly waves back. Mina hears Maeve scoff behind her. Rolling her eyes, she focuses on Link as he steps up to start.

Mina watches as Link shoots one target after another, hitting it dead center, getting one bulls-eye after another. Mina is amazed by the young man's skill. There are targets placed on high poles or far away, there are rings to shoot through and jars to break. Link quickly hits them all, earning cheers from the crowd. There are even groups of young girls squealing and swooning over the boy's skill, much to Mina's amusement. The final target comes up, the moving one. Link glances over at Mina and gives her a wink. Mina feels her face heat up as Link takes aim at the target. He watches it moves before loosening an arrow at it. When it comes to a stop, the announcer walks over to check.

"Another bulls-eye!" he calls out to cheers from the crowd, "We have our first perfect score!" Link grins as he turns to the crowd, waving before stepping away. There were several other contestants after Link, all looking determined as they step up to take their shots, but none are as skilled as he is. After the contest ends, the announcer steps up on stage again, "And so, as our contest comes to an end, I am happy to announce this year's winner!" Motioning towards the group of men and women who had all signed up, he calls out, "Mister Link of Ordon village!"

The crowd erupts into cheers as Link steps forward to wave again, a big smile on his face. The announcer gives his closing words and the contestants and audience trickle out to head to the next event scheduled for that day. There are a few small crowds that linger, trying to talk to some of the contestants or just wanting to see them up close. Maeve and Haymidge head into the arena to find Reever, Maeve still steaming about Reever's loss. Mina dashing past them to find Link.

"Where did he get that kind of skill?!" Mina hears Maeve huff, "Reever grew up shooting for Pete-sake!"

Mina finds Link and Reever talking. "You were really impressive out there," Reever comments, "Where did you learn to shoot like that?"

Link rubs the back of his neck, embarrassed, "I spent a lot of time shooting moving targets last year. I kind of had to learn quickly. Before that I used a bow to hunt, but it wasn't as intense."

"Link!" Mina cheers, running over and throwing her arms around him in a quick embrace, stepping back to look at the boy, "That was amazing! You even got a perfect score!" Mina looks up at him, eyes sparkling.

Link blushes, smiling at the girl, "Thanks." He stiffens when Maeve stomps over, glaring at him.

"It's not fair to enter into a contest when you're an expert!" Maeve scolds.

Reever rolls his eyes, "I'm an expert as well, Maeve. A number of us are. Don't get angry at Link because he won."

The announcer walks over, "Mister Link if you'll come with me we can get your winnings sorted out." Link nods and follows the brightly dressed man.

"We could have used those rupees," Maeve argues with Reever who tries to hush her.

Mina looks over, "What do you mean?"

Haymidge scratches the back of his neck, "You've the one who kind of… provided the rupees for the rest of us."

Mina suddenly feels guilty, "I'm sorry, I though you guys had purses like mine. If you want, I can give you as much as you need."

Maeve sighs, "Don't worry about that Mina, it's not your fault."

"Still," Mina looks down, feeling ashamed.

Haymidge smiles and rubs her head, "You're sweet Mina, don't worry about that for now, okay?" Mina nods, sighing. "Actually, if it's alright with you, we were wondering about something," Haymidge says, getting Mina's attention, "It would probably be better to talk at our tents, though."

"Oh?" Mina looks up at the man as Link walks back over. She gives the boy a smile before suggesting, "First, could we go get something to eat? We haven't had lunch yet." Link looks at Mina, then at Haymidge, knowing he missed something.

"Sure," Haymidge smiles down at his youngest sibling.

Maeve scoffs, "I think Link should pay for it. He has rupees now."

"I'll pay," Mina argues, looking up at her sister, "Then we can head back to your tents to talk." Maeve pouts as the others agree and they all leave the area.

As they exit, they hear a group of three young girls squealing in unison, "Eeek, it's him!" Link looks a little uncomfortable as they come running over. Mina on the other hand simply laughs. After dealing with the fans, the group heads to one of the many stalls set up, getting themselves some food and heading back to the tents outside the city to eat. As they all sit around a cold campfire, Mina turns to Haymidge and asks, "What did you want to talk to me about?"

"Well," the boy motions towards Link, "Link came by last night and asked if you were psychic. I didn't think so, but then Maeve mentioned your behavior before we started this journey and it got us thinking. I just wanted to know if that could be true." Reever and Maeve both watch Mina as she purses her lips, tilting her head to the side in thought.

Maeve quickly adds in, "It's just, a while back you started acting kind of weird all of a sudden. Even though you wouldn't tell me what they were about, you did say you were having really vivid dreams. Soon after that, you started staring off into space, not paying _any_ attention to anything around you. You would make these faces like you were really worried or sad. Sometimes you would wake up startled, like from a bad dream, or even crying. Sometimes you would gasp or even cheer out of nowhere. It was really weird, and when I asked about it you would get real quiet and say you can't talk about it, change the subject or just walk away."

"Then there was when Sebastian, our oldest brother, talked about sending us here," Reever adds in.

Haymidge nods, "Yeah, Reever and I didn't really notice the other stuff much, but when Sebastian said 'Hyrule' you got all animated. You said you 'had to go' too. The truth is you weren't even a part of the initial party. You convinced Seb to send you with us."

"I did?" Mina looks surprised. She looks at her hands thinking.

Maeve nods, "Yeah, and we were wondering if that is what it was about. If you even remember, that is."

"Well," Mina concentrates, "there _are_ things about Hyrule that… I don't know, _feel_ familiar. It feels like I've been here before and there _are_ weird dreams I've been having. It feels like… like I know something happened here, I keep getting bits and pieces of it in my dreams, but I can't see the whole thing. I see places I've never been to before, creatures that aren't here now, but it feels like they _were_. I think I can see events that happened, but I'm not really sure. These memories, these images… they're different from my memories of you guys, of our home. They don't hurt me to remember and, I think… it's almost like I'm watching them from someone else's eyes." Everyone, especially Link, listen to Mina's explanation. "I don't know if these are visions or not, but I think they could be. I think… I'm supposed to be here."

Haymidge and Reever exchange a look and Maeve says, "That's what you told Sebastian. You said that you felt like you were 'supposed' to come here to Hyrule. That there was a 'reason' for you to be here, but you never explained why."

There is one question Link is dying to ask: _Did you see me? Did you have visions of me?_ But he can't bring himself to voice them now. Instead, he remains quiet, paying close attention to Mina's expression. She frowns again, trying to remember. "If I _was_ having visions of Hyrule, do you think it's connected to what happened here a year ago?"

Maeve looks at Link before answering, "Link asked about _when_ you started acting weird last night. He said about a year and three months ago, someone tried to invade Hyrule. That is when your behavior changed, so…"

"So it could," Mina finishes. Sighing, she grows quiet for a while, her food sitting in a bag near her feet. She didn't really have an appetite at the moment. "I'm not really sure how much more information I can give you right now. I just _can't_ remember."

Maeve sighs, "It's fine, Mina. I'm sure everything will be better one we go home."

"Huh?!" Mina and Link both look up at the girl. Link hadn't really thought about Mina leaving with Maeve and the others though it did make some sense that she would.

Maeve continues, "Once we're back in familiar surroundings your memories will come back, I'm sure of it. And if there are problems, Claude can help with it!"

"Claude?" Mina looks confused.

"He's our _other_ brother," Haymidge explains. "It's Sebastian, Claude, me, Reever, Maeve and you as the youngest."

"Wow," Mina mumbles to herself, "But… I was actually thinking about staying here."

"What?!" all three shout out at once, arguing.

Mina has to shout over them, "Please just listen!" Once they've calmed down a bit, aside from Maeve who looked like she was about to explode, Mina explains, "It's just that… I don't remember home. I _do_ remember this place, or at least a little. I feel comfortable here. I don't want to leave. I'm sorry, but I want to stay here. I want to see more of Hyrule."

"No! No way! You are _not_ staying here!" Maeve argues.

Mina keeps her eyes on the ground, "I've made my decision! I don't want to leave!" Mina quickly stands and dashes back towards the gates, towards town. Maeve tries to chase after her, but Haymidge stops her.

"Wait," he looks at his sister, "You know how Mina gets when she's upset. That's not likely to change now. Let her go and try talking to her later." He didn't look any happier about the announcement than Maeve is. Link uses this as a chance to sneak away from the group, heading into town after Mina. He goes straight to the inn where he thought she would be, but she's not there. Growing worried, Link decides to head around town to see if he can find her. Thinking about what Mina had said earlier, Link heads for a few of the other places he visited regularly the year before, wondering if Mina could be there.

He couldn't seem to find her at anywhere in town. Link looked everywhere he could think of, but he just couldn't find Mina. He was beginning to panic as he dashed from the South Gates, wondering if, perhaps, she could be outside the city. He finds her sitting near the base of the steps. The relief Link felt upon seeing the girl was immense. He pauses to catch his breath before walking over, stopping a few steps above her.

Immediately, Link notices how Mina is sitting with her head down, hunched over on herself. He comes a bit closer and hears her sniffle. "Mina?" Link asks, startling the girl who quickly rubs her face with the back of her hand before looking up. "Are you okay?" Link comes to sit next to Mina who shakes her head.

"I just… I feel so guilty," Mina answers, chocking slightly, "They were so worried about me and I… I don't even know them. I don't want to go with them." Mina starts crying again and Link wraps his arm around her shoulders. "I know they must be really worried… I know and yet… I…" Link shushes Mina, pulling her close. "I just feel like I should stay here, like I belong _here_. I don't want to go with them."

"You don't have to," Link says, trying to comfort her, "You don't have to go anywhere you don't want to. I'm sure they'll be upset for a while, but they'll understand eventually."

"I still feel guilty," Mina sniffles, "I put them through so much…"

"Shhh," Link rubs Mina's back. "I'm sure it'll all be okay."


	7. Chapter 7

**Chapter 7 – Guilt**

"I just… I feel so guilty," Mina answers, chocking slightly, "They were so worried about me and I… I don't even know them. I don't want to go with them." Mina starts crying again and Link wraps his arm around her shoulders. "I know they must be really worried… I know and yet… I…" Link shushes Mina, pulling her close. "I just feel like I should stay here, like I belong _here_. I don't want to go with them."

"You don't have to," Link says, trying to comfort her, "You don't have to go anywhere you don't want to. I'm sure they'll be upset for a while, but they'll understand eventually."

"I still feel guilty," Mina sniffles, "I put them through so much…"

"Shhh," Link rubs Mina's back. "I'm sure it'll all be okay."

Mina and Link stay like that for a while, Link's arm wrapped around her, Mina's forehead on his shoulder. Mina eventually calms down, but the two stay there for a while longer, watching the sun set together. Gathering his courage, Link finally asks, "Mina, can I ask you something?"

"Sure," Mina wipes her face with the back of her hand.

Link keeps his eyes off to the side, "Did… do you know if you had any visions of me?"

Mina looks up at Link, surprised, "Uh… Actually, I… I did."

Link looks down at Mina, surprised, "Really?"

"Yeah, I… actually most of my memories are from events that happened here," Mina sheepishly admits, a blush on her face, "One of the memories I have is of you in different clothes, surrounded by little kids with a slingshot in your hand."

"Is that why you talked to me?" Link asks, watching Mina play with a loose strand of her hair. She responds with a nod. Link chuckles nervously, "Well, I guess it kind of worked out, huh?"

"What do you mean?" Mina asks, looking up at the blond boy, face a light pink color.

"I just mean, I'm glad you came to talk to me," Link smiles down at Mina, earning a smile back. "It must have been fate that I came out here when you were out here. I'm sure the goddesses must have wanted us to meet."

Mina giggles, face turning a slightly deeper shade, "I'm really glad you feel that way, Link, because I think so too."

The two fall into a comfortable silence for a short while before Link speaks up, "If you want, you can come with me to Ordon once we're finished here. It'll be winter before too long and we won't be able to do too much traveling, but once spring comes again, I can show you all of Hyrule."

Mina's face brightens, "That would be wonderful!" Link grins. "Oh, actually does that mean it's autumn now?"

Link nods, "Yeah, winter will be here in the next month or so. Didn't you notice how cold it gets at night?"

"I guess I just don't go out much after dark so I didn't really notice," Mina glances down at her clothes. Her sleeves were long and the fabric of her dress was a bit thicker, so she didn't really notice the cold much. "Is your home very warm?"

Link chuckles, "Yeah, don't worry. It's actually a lot warmer than you would think." Mina smiles and they soon head back into the town and back to the inn.

As they head into the building, Mina turns to Link, "When is the ball? I know it's happening soon, but I don't know exactly when."

Link thinks for a moment, "Two days, it's the evening after my companions get here."

"Companions?" Mina remembers what Link had said the day they met, how he was waiting for his friends to arrive so they could deliver a statue to the castle. "You said before you are delivering a statue, right?"

"Yep," Link chuckles nervously as they reach their room, opening the door for Mina. "The Gorons crafted a statue of princess Zelda to commemorate the defeat of Ganondorf and they want me to be there when they deliver it. They were supposed to be here a few days ago, but they got held up by an eruption. They have to clear the way before making their way here."

"Oh, I hope they're alright," Mina looks a little worried.

Link chuckles as he makes a fire for them, "They'll be fine. Gorons are tuff creatures, they won't be held up for too long." Mina sits on her bed. For a while, the only sound is the fire in the fireplace. The peace is broken when Mina's stomach growls loudly, causing the girl's face to flush. Link laughs, "I'll go get you something to eat."

"Thank you," Mina mumbles, watching the boy leave the room. She falls back onto her bed with a sigh. _It's been a long day._ Mina stares at the ceiling for a while, brooding. She still felt bad about leaving the three, Haymidge, Reever and Maeve. She knew it would be hard on them, leaving their little sister in a foreign land, but she really couldn't bring herself to go back with them. She really did feel like she was _meant_ to be there in Hyrule. Mina sighs again, looking over at Thistle who is making herself comfortable in her little room.

Mina turns her head towards the door when she hears it open. Link walks in with a tray in his arms and Lana following behind. "Miss Lana, what brings you up here?" Mina asks, watching the woman as Link places the food on her bed.

"Link told me about our little spat with your family," Lana explains, "I just wanted to make sure you were okay."

Mina gives a sad smile, "I feel a little guilty." She pulls the tray closer and begins eating as she explains, "I know I must have put them through a lot, thinking I was dead and all that, and now to say I won't be going home with them?" Mina sighs, "I know I must have upset them."

"Link, honey, could you give us a moment?" Lana asks, turning to the boy, "I think Mina and I need a bit of time to talk, woman to woman."

"Uh, o-okay," Link turns for the door, "I'll go bathe then." With that, the boy leaves.

Lana sits on the foot of the bed with a sigh, "Well, the thing about that is; if you _did_ go home with them, _you_ would be the one upset. If you really want to stay in Hyrule so much, going back to your home country would only cause you grief." She gives Mina a very serious look, "And that's not the only reason you want to stay, is it sweetie?"

"Wh-what do you mean?" Mina feels her face heat up.

Lana smiles kindly at Mina, "It's easy to see, dear. The way you look at him, the way you are around him. You have feelings for Link, don't you?" Mina can barely stutter out a denial making Lana laugh, "It's okay dear. I was young once too, you know. I know how it feels to meet someone and suddenly fall madly in love with them." Mina's face feels like it's on fire as she sits quietly. Lana's expression gets serious again, "But, dear… You've only known Link for a short while and there is still a lot you don't remember about yourself. You shouldn't make such life altering decisions based on a crush."

"But it's not a crush!" Mina objects, "I… Yes, I have feelings for Link and I know I've only known him for a few days, but I know, _I know_ I've been having visions of him before that!" This catches Lana off guard. "A lot of the memories I have are _of him_. Of things he's done, of monsters he's fought. Of how he _saved Hyrule_. I… Link asked me before if I remembered having any visions of him because, according to my siblings, my visions started at the same time that the monsters were invading Hyrule. I think, during that time, I was having visions of Link fighting them."

"Mina," Lana stares at the girl.

"I told him I did remember some things, but…" Mina falls quiet, looking down at her hands, "I didn't want to tell him _how much_ I saw because I didn't want him to pull away from me. Lana, I think I fell in love with Link long before I even came to Hyrule. I think I must have been having these visions for a reason. I think… I was supposed to meet Link. How else can you explain the visions? Or the fact that most of the things I remember are of him, of Hyrule? Or even the fact that I was on the steps outside the South Gate right as Link was heading that way? I think it was fate." Mina's voice trails off, gets softer at the end, realizing how silly she must sound. Mina knows her face must be a deep red at that moment. "When I saw him out there, I felt like I already knew him. That's why I invited him to stay here with me."

"I see," Lana takes a deep breath, letting it out in a heavy sigh, "And you feel staying here is the right thing to do?" Mina nods, "Then I will support you as best I can. Just understand what you are getting yourself into, what you'll be giving up."

"I do," Mina looks up at the woman, "I know that in staying here I… might never get all of my memories back, but… I'm willing to do that in order to stay by Link's side."

Lana gives Mina a tired smile, "Well, I'll be praying everything works out for the best for you two."

Mina smiles and reaches over to hug Lana, "Thank you."

Lana laughs, returning the hug, "Don't thank me yet dear, you'll still have to deal with that family of yours for a bit longer."

Mina sighs as she returns to her sitting position, "Yeah, and something tells me Maeve won't let go easily."

Lana laughs, "On another note, you never did show me the dress you got for the big party." Mina's face lights up as she jumps off the bed to put the garments on for Lana.

Link wasn't sure how long a 'woman-to-woman' talk was going to take, so when he finally heads back to the room he cautiously knocks on the door. Lana is the one to answer. "Are you finished talking?" Link asks, nervously.

Lana nods, "Yeah and Mina just finished showing me what the two of you will be wearing for the party." Lana moves out of the way so Link can enter the room. He glances over as Mina leaves the bathroom, her dress in her arms. "The two of you are going to look very nice together." Link doesn't really know how to respond to that comment so he simply smiles and nods. "Well, I'll leave you two to get some rest. Sweet dreams," Lana waves as she exits the room, taking the empty tray with her.

Link takes a seat on his bed as Mina puts her dress in the chest near the foot of her own. "So," he cautiously asks, "Did you and Lana have a nice talk?"

Mina nods, "Yeah, she just wanted to make sure I knew what I was doing, staying here in Hyrule."

"Oh?" Link watches Mina sit on her bed.

"Yeah," Mina sighs slightly, "She wanted to make sure I knew the consequences, that I wouldn't be seeing my family again and all that. I understand, I know I might never get my memories back if I stay here, but I'm okay with that. I want to make new memories exploring Hyrule." Mina smiles over at Link who seems a bit unsure.

"You say that now, but…" Link pauses.

Mina continues to smiles, "Really, it's okay. There is just one small thing I'm worried about."

"What?" Link asks.

Mina folds her hands in her lap, "Well, I _did_ tell the others I would give them some rupees earlier, but… I didn't actually get around to it before. Do you think we could, maybe… go out while they're sleeping and put some in a chest for them to find in the morning?"

Link nods as he stands, "Sure." Mina smiles and follows the boy. About fifteen minutes later the two are outside the camp Mina's siblings had made. Gathering her courage, Mina sneaks into their camp, checking to make sure no one saw, she opens a chest near the horses, the one containing their equipment, and fills it with a couple hundred rupees before slipping out of the little camp and back to Link's side. "All done?" Link asks in a whisper. Mina nods and takes his arm as they head back to town.

"I hope I left enough," Mina sighs as they walk along the empty street.

"If they just spend it on food, it should last them a while, but if you want we can come back in a couple of days and leave more," Link offers.

Mina smiles and nods. As they get closer to the inn, Mina chews her lip before asking, "What are we going to do about baths before the dance?"

"Hm?" Link looks down at her as he opens the inn door for Mina to enter.

"It's just…" Mina walks inside, aiming for their shared room, "I'm going to want to bathe before going and… well… I'm a little nervous to try and bathe again without a locked door."

"Ah," again Link opens the room door for Mina, letting her into the room first, "I could wait outside the door if you'd like and I'll bathe right after you. We should probably do it the night before, since you don't like bathing with other people and I'm sure the baths will be busy right before the party. Would that be okay?"

Mina smiles, "Yeah, thank you." Both decide to go to bed after that, Link shutting off the lantern like always. That night Mina dreams of something familiar.

 _Running through a two story, wooden house, Mina makes for the back door. She is small, barely reaching the doorknob. She laughs as she bursts through the door and out into the back gardens where Mother grows her cooking herbs. Maeve is chasing behind her, calling out, "Wait! You're going too fast!" She's huffing and crying a little, but Mina doesn't stop. She laughs again and she continues to run through the field where they grow their crops, big brothers are all out working._

 _Mina runs and runs, finding the little stream at the edge of their property, trees on all sides. Mina stops to catch her breath. She looks in the water at her reflection. She is maybe three or four years old with large eyes and messy hair. She smiles at herself, looking away from the water to see a brightly colored creature the size of her little fist with large dragonfly-like wings. Mina follows it as it flits downstream, leading her to a cave. It wants her to follow it. Mina walks into the cave, led by the light the tiny creature gives off. There are more, so much more in the back of the cave, all different colors and sizes. Mina stays there, playing with them until it is dark outside. She hears voices calling for her, but she is too entranced by the little creatures to care._

 _Suddenly, a light flares in the darkness of the cave. A boy with a lantern comes around a bend in the cavern. He looks about fifteen years old. His hair is cut short, wavy brown with chocolate brown eyes. Mina can see the relief on his face as he dashes over to her. "Mina! What are you doing in here? We were so worried about you!" Mina giggles, reaching for the boy who sighs and picks her up. "Really Mina, you need to stop wandering off," he gently scolds the girl, carrying her in one arm while he holds the lantern with the other._

" _Sowwy big bwuder," Mina responds, wrapping her arms around his neck, smiling up at the boy._

Link is the first to wake the next morning. Sitting up with a yawn, he looks over at Mina who is smiling in her sleep. _Th-thump._ Link feels his face heat up a little, though he doesn't understand why. Looking away from the sleeping girl, he makes his way into the little restroom where he splashes some water on his face. Walking out of the little room, Link stops by Mina's bedside, gently shaking her shoulder. Mina's eyes flutter open and she smiles up at Link, still half asleep.

"Good morning," Link smiles down at Mina.

"Ah, good morning," Mina mumbles, slowly sitting up, "I had such a wonderful dream last night."

Link chuckles, "Yeah, you were smiling in your sleep."

"I dreamt I was in a cave, playing with fairies," Mina explains, "I think… I might have remembered the cave that Haymidge told me about, the one with the fairies in it that I used to visit when I was a child."

"Really?" Link looks interested now.

Mina nods, "Yeah, and I think I saw some of our house and the fields behind it in my dream too. I think… they may have been memories." Mina smiles happily.

"That's great," Link smiles again, "Perhaps your dreams can help you remember some of your past."

Mina nods, "Yeah, and without my head hurting too! That would be really nice." Mina stands and yawns. Link follows suit, opening the door for Mina before following her down to the first floor for breakfast. As they eat, Mina turns to Link and asks, "So, what do you want to do today?"

"Hm?" Link looks up from his food, blinking, "Uh, well… I suppose we could check out some of the games the vendors have set up around the market. Or we could go see some of the shows. We can do whatever you'd like to do."

Mina smiles, "Maybe we can play some games and then go see a show?"

"Okay," Link agrees, smiling back.


	8. Chapter 8

**Chapter 8 – Fun and Games**

"I dreamt I was in a cave, playing with fairies," Mina explains, "I think… I might have remembered the cave that Haymidge told me about, the one with the fairies in it that I used to visit when I was a child."

"Really?" Link looks interested now.

Mina nods, "Yeah, and I think I saw some of our house and the fields behind it in my dream too. I think… they may have been memories." Mina smiles happily.

"That's great," Link smiles again, "Perhaps your dreams can help you remember some of your past."

Mina nods, "Yeah, and without my head hurting too! That would be really nice." Mina stands and yawns. Link follows suit, opening the door for Mina before following her down to the first floor for breakfast. As they eat, Mina turns to Link and asks, "So, what do you want to do today?"

"Hm?" Link looks up from his food, blinking, "Uh, well… I suppose we could check out some of the games the vendors have set up around the market. Or we could go see some of the shows. We can do whatever you'd like to do."

Mina smiles, "Maybe we can play some games and then go see a show?"

"Okay," Link agrees, smiling back.

After they finish eating their breakfast, Mina and Link bid Lana goodbye before heading out for the day. Mina takes Link's hand and eagerly heads towards the game booths set up in a different area of the market. Link shows Mina a few of the shooting games as well as a fishing game you play with a small, paper paddle. There was a ring toss and even a dart throwing booth. Mina tries her hand at the slingshot shooting game. Link even loans Mina his slingshot when it's her turn to try. Mina stands at the line, pulling back on the band and taking aim for one of the little pots. Mina closes one eye, tongue between her teeth as she tries, unsuccessfully to hit her target.

The vendor, a kind looking middle-aged man, laughs, "Go ahead and give it another try."

Mina takes her second shot and misses again. "Here," Link comes to stand behind Mina, steadying her arms, he helps her aim. The final shot hits the target and Mina lets out a cheer.

"I actually hit it!" Mina grins back at Link who was still standing behind her.

The vendor motions towards a small selection of toys, "Go ahead and pick from the small ones." Mina picks a small, wooden rabbit figurine.

After that, the two head towards the ring toss. This time Link is the one to play. He manages to get a high score. The vendor asks him what stuffed toy he would like; a lamb, a horse or a wolf. Link notices how Mina looks a little exited at the mention of a wolf, so he asks for that one. The toy he was handed was about the length of his forearm and looked _remarkably_ familiar. It even had a little cuff and chains on its left wrist. He hands it to Mina and says, "Here, for you." Link smiles as Mina's face lights up.

"Eee! Thank you!" Mina squeals as she hugs the little wolf to her chest, "He's so cute and fluffy!" Mina snuggles her face into its fur, earning a laugh from the vendor.

"I'm glad you like it," the man says, "It's actually modeled after a wolf that was seen running around Hyrule about a year ago." Link looks a little nervous at the mention of this wolf.

"Well, it's adorable," Mina gives it a squeeze as Link guides her to the next game. They play several games, losing a few and winning others. They come away with several small prizes that Mina stores in her bag including a funny little imp with bright orange hair, the stuffed wolf still in her arms. They stop at a stall for lunch, Mina buying steamed dumplings like the ones she shared with Link the day they met. The two sit under a large tree and eat before heading back towards the games.

"What should we play next?" Mina asks, walking between the stalls, Link at her side.

The boy thinks for a bit, "I'm not really sure."

"Oh!" Mina stops, grabbing Link's hand, "There's a petting zoo!" Mina motions towards an area set up off to the side with pens advertising a 'Happy Acres' petting zoo. "Let's go there!" Mina pulls Link towards the attraction. Link laughs, following the girl. Mina heads over to one of the goats, petting it.

"There's a farm in Ordon that I work at. We have a lot of goats there," Link says, petting the goat alongside Mina.

"Will you take me there?" Mina asks, looking over at Link.

The boy's face flushes slightly, "Sure, I'll show you all of Ordon and introduce you to all of my friends there." Mina smiles up at Link, his face growing even redder. The two move from the goats towards the sheep then the cuccoos and other birds, then they visit the dogs and cats. Mina hugs one of the cats as it purrs. "I just love animals," Mina sighs happily as she watches the kittens roll around, playing with a ball of yarn. Link smiles down at Mina. "Do you have any pets, Link?"

The question surprises him, "Uh, no I don't."

"Oh, right," Mina blinks, "You travel a lot, don't you?"

"Not really," Link rubs the back of his neck, "I only really started traveling when…"

"Oh," Mina looks down at the animals, "I suppose that's really for the best. You wouldn't really be able to take care of them if you're traveling."

Link chuckles, "If I did have one, I'm sure I could count on Ilia to take care of it while I was gone."

Mina looks back at the kittens, pursing her lips, "You and Ilia are really close, aren't you?"

"We've been friends since we were kids," Link sits down to let a puppy climb into his lap, rubbing the small animal's head. Mina chews her lip, staring at the kittens. Link looks over, "Is something wrong?"

"Uh," Mina twitches, looking back, "No, nothing." She gives him a smile, but something about it seemed forced. Link looks back at the kittens.

"Do you _want_ a pet?" Link asks, trying to figure out what was wrong.

Mina pulls a string along the ground, one of the kittens chasing it, "I'm fine, really. And… well, we can't exactly take a kitten with us. Not to mention, I want to see Hyrule, so it wouldn't be right to take one home and then _leave_ it." Mina smiles, hoping Link will accept her excuse, the truth is she was a little jealous.

"Yeah, I suppose," Link looks at the kittens.

Mina stands, "Let's go see one of the shows."

"Okay," Link stands and follows Mina out of the petting zoo. He could see there was still something wrong. Reaching over, Link takes Mina's hand, threading his fingers between hers. "The shows are this way," he leads her down a different lane. When he glances back, Mina is smiling like usual again.

They arrive at one of the little buildings and Link leads Mina inside. It was a theater. Mina looks around in awe as Link takes her into the amphitheater and they find a pair of seats as a group files into the room. Mina hugs her stuffed wolf to her chest as the lanterns dim. A group comes onto stage as they act out a funny little play about a man with a mean wife who doesn't let him go fishing with his friends. There are a couple other comedies and one even had a man dressed in women's clothing with exaggerated make-up and _really_ big hair.

The final play was a tragedy about a man and woman, torn apart by their feuding families who lived in different providences. During the final act of the play Mina had tears in her eyes, like many of the other women in the audience. Link reaches over, wrapping his arm around her shoulders, pulling her closer. Mina looks over at him, surprised by the sudden action, face flushing in the dark. Mina is unable to pay attention to the end of the play, focusing on the boy's arm around her.

As the actors take their bow and walk off stage, Link stands and offers his hand to Mina who takes it, suddenly feeling shy. The two leave the theatre together, hand in hand. It was already getting dark out. "Do you want to go get some dinner?" Link asks, looking down at Mina as they walk through the crowded streets.

"Um, s-sure," Mina returns the smile. Her cheeks still a light pink color and her heart beating faster than normal. _What is wrong with me? Link and I held hands before, why the heck am I reacting like this now?!_ Trying to force the thought out of her head Mina looks around at the crowds around them. She can't help noticing the couples that were out together, hands clasped like theirs were. "So, where do you want to eat?" Mina asks, trying to force herself to focus on something else.

"Hm," Link looks around at the shops and motions towards a little restaurant, "We could go there."

"Okay," Mina smiles and follows the boy towards the establishment. There is a line, but the wait isn't very long and they are soon seated. A young, pretty waitress takes their orders before walking off to get their drinks. The restaurant wasn't exactly 'fancy' but it was certainly nice with a large seating area filled with tables and happy people. The lighting was a little low with a few candles on the walls and on the tables. There were mostly adults there in couples or groups, talking and laughing in low, murmuring voices. Link and Mina were seated in a secluded little corner at a table for two. It was actually a little romantic.

Link smiles across the table at Mina who shyly returns it, keeping her head tilted down. Link couldn't really understand why she was acting differently, but he decides to ignore it for the time being. "So, did you enjoy the shows?" Link asks, trying to make conversation.

Mina nods, "Yeah, they were really good. I really liked the one where the man dressed up like a woman."

Link laughs, "Yeah that was pretty funny." The waitress comes back with their drinks. "Did you have fun today? Playing games, I mean."

"Yeah," Mina smiles, "I really love the stuffed wolf you gave me." Mina touches her satchel. During the start of the first play, she stored the toy in her bag for safe keeping. "You're really good at the games."

Links rubs the back of his neck, "I've just had a lot of practice, that's all." Mina giggles at the boy's reaction. "Anyway, I'm just glad I could give you something," Link smiles, "After everything you've done for me."

"I told you not to worry about any of that," Mina sighs. The waitress comes back with their food and the two begin eating while they talk. "Anyway, I've really had a lot of fun tonight. I'm kind of glad we didn't run into my siblings."

"Really?" Link looks at Mina.

Nodding, Mina explains, "Seeing them would just make me feel guilty all over again. It would kind of ruin the day for me."

"Oh," Link blinks, looking down at his food, "That's too bad."

"What do you mean?" Mina cocks her head to the side. Link's heart thumps hard in his chest.

"W-well," Link tries to find his thought again, "It's just that… I'm sure they will at least want to say good bye before they head back to… wherever you're from. But if you avoid them, they won't get to."

"Oh, I guess I never thought of it that way," Mina looks down.

"But there's still time!" Link quickly adds, trying not to make Mina sad, "They said they wanted to talk to Princess Zelda, but I'm sure she's too busy right now to see them. They'll have to wait until the party at the very earliest, so they will be in town a few more days at least. You can say goodbye to them sometime before then. Okay?"

Mina nods, "I suppose. I mean, I at least owe them that."

"R-right, so don't feel bad, okay? You haven't done anything wrong," Link smiles over at Mina.

"Thanks," Mina returns his smile, "That's actually made me feel a lot better."

Link nervously chuckles, "Anyway, let's talk about something else, okay? What was your favorite game?"

Mina giggles, "The slingshot shooting game."

"Really? Why?" Link asks, trying to keep the topic light.

Mina blushes slightly, "Because you helped me hit the target on my last try." Link blushes slightly, though he doesn't really understand why.

After a while, Link thinks back to the petting zoo, or more specifically, how Mina looked sad. He could tell something had bothered her, so he decides to ask again, "Hey, Mina?"

"Yes?" Mina looks up from her plate.

Suddenly feeling nervous, Link manages to ask, "Back at the petting zoo… You kind of looked sad. I know you said you were fine, but… Well…" Mina's face flushes and she quickly looks down at her food. "I just want to know what's wrong."

Mina chews her lip for a while before sighing, "It's just… I'm a little jealous."

"Jealous?" Link watches Mina, confused.

Nodding, Mina keeps her eyes down, folding her hands in her lap, "When you talked about how close you and Ilia are, I just…" Mina's face felt like it was on fire.

After a long pause, Link finally responds, "Ohhh, I understand now." That didn't make Mina feel any better. Chuckling quietly, Link puts a hand on Mina's under the table, "Don't worry, Mina. I'm sure you and Ilia will become fast friends." Mina's head jerks up. She wasn't expecting him to come to that conclusion. Link continues, "I just know she'll like you, because I like you."

Mina's face turns a deep crimson and she laughs nervously. _That's not it you stupid boy! But… I suppose that's one of the things I like about him. And he did… just say he likes me!_ Mina smiles, "Thanks. That makes me feel better." Link grins, thinking he solved the problem. _You adorable idiot._ Mina sighs to herself.

The two continue talking for almost an hour before the bill comes. Link quickly pays the waitress before Mina can get her purse out of her bag. Standing, Link offers his hand, "It's getting late. We should head back to the inn."

Mina giggles, taking the blondes' hand and standing. As the exit, the two overhear their waitress talking to another young woman. Sighing, she says, "Why can't I have a cute boyfriend to take me out on dates like that?" Mina glances up at Link's face to see his cheeks are a bright red color. She giggles again, but otherwise remains quiet as they leave the restaurant together, hand in hand. Outside, the air was cool and damp, clouds filling the sky. It had rained a bit while they were having dinner, though it looked like it might clear up soon.

Mina takes a deep breath, enjoying the night air as they stroll along through the streets, heading towards their inn. The streets had cleared up a bit, only a few groups or couples were walking along at this hour. As they near the inn, Mina looks up at Link. "When we get back to the inn, I'll head in and bathe first, then you can have a turn. Okay?"

"Okay," Link agrees, "And I'll watch the door for you, while you're in there."

"Thanks," Mina leans her head on Links shoulder for a moment. She could really tell now that it was getting colder out. _I wonder when winter starts._ Mina glances around when they enter the inn. There were still a few people up, but they seemed to be either heading to their rooms or out, probably to Telma's bar. Mina and Link head towards the baths together, passing by Lana's rooms. The woman peeks out her door, watching the two with a curious look. When Mina enters the baths alone, the woman walks over to Link who makes himself comfortable outside the door.

"Have a nice day, honey?" Lana asks, catching the boy's attention.

Link nods, "Yeah. We won a few prizes at the games, went to see a couple shows at the theater then had dinner at one of the restaurants near the market."

Lana smiles, "Sounds nice."

Link nods, "It was…" He trails off, thinking about what the waitress said.

"What's the matter?" Lana asks as she makes herself comfortable in a nearby chair.

"It's nothing," Link looks back at the door and the two fall into an awkward silence for a while. "Can…" Link begins, "Can we talk later, after my bath?"

"Sure," Lana smiles, standing, "Just come to my rooms when you're ready and we can talk over tea."

"Okay," Link watches the woman walk away and settles back to wait.

Once Mina is finished with her bath, she heads back to their room. Link washes quickly before heading to talk to Lana who has two chairs and a tea set waiting. "So, what would you like to talk about?" the woman asks as she pours them some tea.

"About today," Link takes a seat, "It's just… a couple of times now people have mistaken Mina and I for…"

"For?" Lana presses.

"For a couple," Link shyly admits.

"I see," Lana sips her tea.

"And today," Link continues, "Our waitress thought we were on a date."

"Hmm," Lana muses, a small smile on her face, "Well, I suppose it probably looked like that."

"It's just…" Link takes his tea cup in both hands, "I've never actually been on a _date_ , so… I'm not really sure what it would look like."

Lana tries to force back the smile on her face, "What did you two do exactly?"

"We played some games in the plaza, went to the petting zoo, saw some shows then had dinner," Link explains.

"Well, did the two of you do anything to make yourselves look like a couple?" Lana asks, "Did you hold hands? Stand really close? Go behind her and show her how to play one of the games?" Link's face flushes and Lana knows she is right, "Did you pay for anything?"

"Y… yes," Link admits.

"What exactly?" Lana adds more sugar to her tea before taking another sip.

Link adverts his eyes, "Everything."

Lana laughs loudly, "Sweetie, that _was_ a date. The only way you could have been _more_ of a couple tonight is if you had walked Mina back to her room and kissed her 'goodnight.'"

"Wha?!" Link looks up, startled. His reaction gets another laugh out of Lana.

Smiling over at the blushing boy, Lana finally tells him, "Sweetie, it's obvious the two of you have feelings for one another."

"What do you mean?" Link looks down at his tea.

"You care about Mina, don't you?" Lana asks, reaching over and forcing Link to look at her, "Tell me the truth now."

Link can feel his heartbeat in his cheeks, "I-I think… I think Mina is really nice. And she's pretty. She's… done a lot for me over the last few days. I… I want to spend more time with her and learn more about her. I want to help her."

"Do you want to be with her? Have her stay with you?" Lana asks. Link doesn't respond. Sighing, Lana shakes her head with a chuckle. "You like her, dear. Now it's up to you to let her know." Lana escorts Link from her chambers and bids him good night.

"What do I do?" Link asks, looking at Lana, "How do I tell her?"

Lana chuckles, "You'll figure it out."


	9. Chapter 9

**Chapter 9 – Dancing Part 1**

"You care about Mina, don't you?" Lana asks, reaching over and forcing Link to look at her, "Tell me the truth now."

Link can feel his heartbeat in his cheeks, "I-I think… I think Mina is really nice. And she's pretty. She's… done a lot for me over the last few days. I… I want to spend more time with her and learn more about her. I want to help her."

"Do you want to be with her? Have her stay with you?" Lana asks. Link doesn't respond. Sighing, Lana shakes her head with a chuckle. "You like her, dear. Now it's up to you to let her know." Lana escorts Link from her chambers and bids him good night.

"What do I do?" Link asks, looking at Lana, "How do I tell her?"

Lana chuckles, "You'll figure it out."

Link makes his way back to the room he shares with Mina. His talk with Lana certainly was eye opening. He still wasn't sure how he could fall for someone in such a short amount of time. Then again they have spent a lot of time together over the last few days. Link pauses just outside the door, taking a deep breath. He knew he would have to tell Mina about his feelings eventually so he decides to just get it over with, but when he opens the door, he finds Mina is already asleep, curled up in her bed with a smile on her face. Link lets his breath out in a puff, shaking his head. _For the best, I suppose. I can always tell her later._ Link makes his way over to his own bed and lies down. He falls asleep quickly that night.

The next morning, Mina is first to wake. She hops out of bed, excited for what's to come that night and eagerly shakes Link awake. The boy slowly sits up with a yawn. "What is it?" he asks while rubbing his eyes.

"Come on! The dance is today!" Mina bounces on the edge of Link's bed. Her face was bright with excitement.

Link blinks over at her before laughing, "It's not until tonight. You still have all day to wait."

"I know, but I'm still so excited!" Mina continues to bounce until Link stops her by putting both hands on her shoulders. "Besides, aren't you supposed to meet your friends today?"

"Oh, that's right," Link blinks when he remembers that Gor Coron was coming with a few of the other Gorons. "I should get ready," Link rolls out of bed and makes his way into the bathroom. Mina moves over to her own bed and begins brushing her long hair, waiting for Link to come out of the bathroom.

"So, where are you going to meet with your friends?" Mina asks as Link leaves the bathroom.

"We've supposed to meet outside the West Gate," Link explains. Mina follows the boy as he leaves their room and heads towards the stairs leading to the first floor. "I'm going to go meet with them and then we are going to take the statue to the castle."

"Really?" Mina looks up at the boy, obviously excited.

Link laughs nervously, "All they are going to do is put it in place. Then Gor Coron is going to meet with Princess Zelda. They just want me there when they make the delivery because the guards know me and are less likely to give them a hard time. The installation will take a while and they aren't even going to be doing a proper presentation until later tonight."

"Oh," Mina pouts slightly, "So it's going to be kind of boring?"

"Yeah," Link pauses at the inn's front door, "If you want, you can just wait here for me to get back. Or you could go see another show at the theater."

Mina pauses before shaking her head, "It won't be as fun without you. I think I'll stay here and have Lana help me get ready for the dance early."

"Okay, have fun," Link waves back at Mina as he heads out. Mina waves back, watching the door close behind Link. With a sigh, Mina turns and heads to find Lana who is still serving breakfast to a number of the inn residents.

"Not going out today?" Lana asks as she puts her ladle down.

"No," Mina sighs again, "Link had to go meet up with some people. They are delivering a statue to the castle. He said they were going to install it and it would take a while, so I decided to stay here for now."

"Oh, well if you don't have anything else to do, would you like to help me serve breakfast?" Lana asks, motioning towards the food. Mina nods and helps Lana serve the food, remaining quiet through most of breakfast. After everyone had eaten, including Mina and Lana, the two gather the dishes and takes them to the kitchen to wash them. To make conversation, Lana asks, "Are you excited about the dance tonight?"

"Yeah," Mina perks up a bit, "Actually, will you help me get ready? I could use some help getting the dress laced up in the back. It was kind of difficult to do it at the store."

"Sure thing sweetie," Lana smiles down at Mina.

Once the dishes are clean, the two head up to the room where Mina pulls several bundles from the chest at the foot of her bed. She grabs a handful of lace items before rushing into the bathroom. Mina quickly changes out of her usual dress and into the lace panties and strapless bra she had purchased from the shop next to the clothing store along with the white garter belt and thigh high stockings. Normally shy, Mina is too excited to worry about modesty as she heads back into the room.

Lana holds up the dress for Mina to step into, holding the back towards herself. Mina steps into the soft, satiny material, sliding her arms into the elbow length sleeves. She pulls her hair forward so Lana can lace up the back. The front was modest while the back was low enough to show Mina's shoulder blades. Mina runs her fingers over the soft, dark blue lace around the sleeve cuffs. "It's just so pretty," Mina sighs, looking down at herself.

"That it is," Lana smiles as she comes around to look at Mina from the front. "It fits you so well, too."

Mina smiles brightly up at Lana, "Thank you."

Lana chuckles, "Why don't you come down to my rooms and I'll fix your hair for you."

"Sure!" Mina grabs her light blue, high heel shoes and elbow length gloves and follows Lana to the first floor where her apartment is. It's the first time Mina has been in Lana's rooms and she is a little curious. Mina follows Lana to her bedroom where the woman sits her down at her vanity. Lana pulls the ribbon out of Mina's hair, picking up her hair brush and pulling it through Mina's long hair. Mina smiles as she watches Lana in the mirror. For a moment, she sees the image of a different woman, a slightly thinner one with graying brown hair and warm, brown eyes. Mina closes her eyes tightly for a few seconds and the image goes away.

When Mina opens her eyes again, it's Lana standing behind her. The older woman brushes Mina's hair straight before turning her away from the mirror. Lana talks to Mina while trying several different styles with her hair, she even pulls out a strange metal wand that she uses to curl several locks of Mina's hair. It takes over an hour, but Lana finally finishes Mina's hair. With a satisfied smile, she lets Mina see her reflection earning a gasp from the younger girl. Lana had piled her long hair onto her head in a number of intricately curled designs with little crystals placed in the centers like little flowers. The light blue ribbon she had purchased was tied around the outside with a bow at the side of her head and two long, curled locks framing either side of her face.

"It's beautiful, Lana," Mina looks back at the woman, "Thank you so much."

Lana smiles, "You're welcome, dear. I always wanted to do something like this for my daughter, but I never got to have one." Mina wraps her arms around Lana's waist, hugging her tightly.

"Thank you," Mina's voice is thick with emotion, "I really… appreciate you taking care of me this whole time."

Lana smiles, hugging Mina back, "You're welcome, sweetie. It's been nice, almost like having a daughter of my own for a while. I'll really miss you when you and Link leave here."

"We'll come back and visit, I promise," Mina looks up at Lana.

Lana laughs, "I know you will. Now, let's finish getting you ready for tonight."

"What about lunch for the rest of the residents?" Mina asks, watching Lana search through the drawers of her vanity.

"Don't you worry about that, sweetie. A few of the other residents are taking care of it," Lana comes back up with a few jars and tubes, "It's how a few of them are paying for their rooms."

"Oh," Mina blinks, looking at the items as Lana lays them out. Lana turns Mina away from the mirror again and tells her to close her eyes. Obeying, Mina sits patiently while Lana continues to work her magic, finishing Mina off with just a bit of perfume on her neck. Instead of allowing Mina to look at her reflection in the vanity, Lana pulls her over to a large, floor length mirror placed in one corner of the room. When Lana steps out of the way, Mina hardly recognizes herself. Lana had used a bit of eye liner, mascara and light blue eye shadow to make Mina's eyes look large. Her lips were painted a pale pink color and her cheeks were a light pink, whether from makeup or her blushing, she wasn't sure.

"Wow," Mina breathes, looking at her reflection. She looked like a full grown woman. "Lana… Thank you so much." Mina looks back at the woman who had tears in her eyes.

"You look beautiful dear," Lana replies with a smile.

When Link finally returns to the inn, it is starting to get dark and he is hungry and sweaty. Lana greets him near the door. "Welcome back, dear."

Link waves at the woman, "Where's Mina?"

Lana smiles, "She's in my apartments right now. She'll meet you at the door when it's time to go, for now you should go freshen up and get changed."

"Can I grab some food first?" Link asks, motioning towards the kitchen.

"Sure, but after you should go wash," Lana crinkles her nose, "You could use a bath."

Link laughs, but does as he's told, eating quickly before washing. There was a group in the bath, but it didn't really bother Link all that much. After that, he heads to the room where he quickly changes into the tunic Mina bought him. He starts by stripping down, pulling on the soft, black pants, gold embroidery crawling up the sides in a vine pattern. Next, Link pulls on the white undershirt, tying the laces at his chest and wrists as well as he can by himself. Next he pulls the tunic over his head. It was a deep, forest green with gold embroidery along the bottom and sleeve cuffs matching that on his pants and along the opening of the hat that he pulls onto his head. Lastly, he pulls on the polished, dark brown boots, fastening the tunic's thick, black belt around his waist, golden buckle shining in the dull lamp light.

Link turns and heads down to the first floor, knocking on Lana's door. It was almost time to go and Link figured Mina would want to get there quickly. "Is Mina ready to go?" Link asks through the door.

Lana opens the door, looking at Link, "My, you look handsome!"

Link chuckles, rubbing the back of his neck, "Thank you, Lana. Is Mina ready?"

Lana smiles, "Yes, she is." Moving to the side, Mina steps forward and Link's breath catches in his throat.

"W… wow, you look…" Link stammers.

Giggling, Mina blushes and says, "Thank you. Lana did my hair for me." Mina twirls one of the curls around her finger before lowering her gloved hand. "Shall we go?" Link nods, still at a loss for words.

"You two have fun," Lana escorts the two to the door, "Don't stay out too late, okay?"

"Okay," Mina smiles back at Lana, waving as she and Link head towards the castle. Mina could feel her heart pounding in her chest as she walks side by side with Link.

"You look beautiful," the boy finally manages to say.

"Thank you," Mina could feel her cheeks heat up, "Lana really did a great job making me look pretty."

"You always look pretty," Link smiles down at Mina who has to look away. With her heels on, she and Link were closer in height, the boy currently standing only three or four inches taller.

"You're really sweet," Mina keeps her eyes on her hands which she kept folded in front of her. Link glances to the side, taking a deep breath before reaching over and taking Mina's hand. Mina holds his hand back, a smile on her face. After a few seconds, Mina glances over at Link. The boy had a blush on his face as well. Mina squeezes Link's hand and he looks over, smiling back at her.

The walk to the castle is quiet. There are a number of other couples walking the same direction, talking and laughing. "Mina?" Link catches Mina's attention, "I'm glad you're here. With me. And I'm glad you're the one who's going with me to the celebration."

Mina smiles over at Link. "Me too." They arrive at the castle amid a crowd of Castle Town residents. There are guards stationed around to guide people into the castle and to make sure everyone is safe. "Wow," Mina breaths, "It's so _big_."

Link laughs, "I know, it's kind of overwhelming at first. Just stick with me, okay?"

Mina blushes slightly, smiling as she gives Link's hand a squeeze, "Okay."

The two walk into the castle together, following a crowd towards the ballroom. Mina was in awe of how large and ornately decorated the castle was. There were crystal chandeliers hanging from the ceiling, coupled with torches lighting the way. Along the walls were ornate tapestries displaying the history of Hyrule for all to see. There are a few that even show the "Hero of Time" fighting a great evil and saving the kingdom.

"Link," Mina points to one showing the Hero of Time, "He looks like you."

Link looks up, chuckling nervously, "Y-yeah, maybe a little. Come on, the ball room is this way." Link leads Mina to a high ceilinged, beautifully decorated room. There were brightly colored fabrics hanging from the ceiling in colorful waterfalls with the crystal chandeliers shining brightly casting rainbows across the room. Along one wall there were tables filled with food and drinks with more, smaller tables spaced out along the edge of the room for people to sit and eat or just talk.

In one corner of the room was an orchestra playing softly. There were even beautiful dancers dressed in light silks performing close by for those who would like to watch instead of dance. There were so many sights, sounds and smells that Mina had to pause for a few moments to take it all in. "It's beautiful," Mina says, looking over at Link who nods.

"Yeah," Link leads Mina out onto the floor, walking around the room with her. There are so many people there talking and laughing. Some people have already started at the buffet. There were even waiters walking around with trays of small snacks or glasses filled with wine. After a while Mina and Link make themselves comfortable at one of the many tables, a few of Link's friends saying hello as they pass by. Eventually, the music stops and everyone's attention is drawn to the large double stairs at the far end of the room.

A man Mina can't see loudly announces, "Princess Zelda of Hyrule," as a lovely young woman begins to descend the stairs. Like a wave, people begin to bow and curtsy. Those at tables even stand to do so. Following suit, Link and Mina stand to pay their respects to the kingdom's princess. As the music starts up again, this time playing a different song, the floor clears of crowds so couples can begin to dance. _I hope Link asks me to dance_. Mina looks over at the couples twirling around on the floor before glancing at Link.

Instead, the boy looks at Mina, taking her hand and asking, "Would you like to meet Princess Zelda?"

Mina's face brightens and she nods, following Link towards a group of people who were also eagerly greeting the woman. As they draw close, Mina's stomach tightens nervously. When Zelda spots Link, she greets him with a kind smile. "I'm glad you could make it," she says in greeting.

Link nods, "It's good to see you again, Princess Zelda."

The tall female's eyes drift over to Mina who stiffens nervously, despite the smile on the slightly older woman's face. "And who is this?" Zelda asks, kindly.

"This is Mina," Link nudges Mina forward with a hand at the small of her back, "She's the one I told you about earlier."

"Oh, it's nice to meet you, Mina," Zelda extends her hand.

 _W-wait, Link talked about me to the princess?!_ Mina freezes for a moment before gingerly taking Zelda's hand. "I-it's nice to m-meet you too," Mina barely manages to stammer.

"Link told me about your lost memories," Zelda continues, "I hope you regain them quickly."

"Uh, thank you," Mina glances over at Link before looking back at the princess. _She's so pretty._ Link and Mina move aside so others can speak to the princess.

As Link takes Mina back to their table he asks, "So, was meeting the Princess what you had expected?"

Mina isn't really sure how to respond. "She's… she's so nice," Mina glances at her hands. She was obviously a little star struck. "And she's so _pretty_." Link laughs. "She's not at all like what I expected. I thought she would be more… withdrawn? But she was so nice."

"Yeah, Princess Zelda is very kind," Link pulls out a chair for Mina to sit.

As she takes the seat, Mina glances back towards the group surrounding Zelda. She immediately recognizes her sibling as they approach the princess. "Oh no!" Mina quickly stands, startling Link.

"What is it?" Link asks, looking in the same direction as Mina. It takes him a second, but he too recognizes the three. "Don't worry, Mina. They said they needed to talk to the Princess. I'm sure they aren't even looking for you."

"S-still," Mina looks worried. She quickly grabs Link by the hand and hurries through the glass doors towards the garden.


	10. Chapter 10

**Chapter 10 – Dancing Part 2**

"Yeah, Princess Zelda is very kind," Link pulls out a chair for Mina to sit.

As she does, she glances back towards the group surrounding Zelda. She immediately recognizes her sibling as they approach the princess. "Oh no!" Mina quickly stands, startling Link.

"What is it?" Link asks, looking in the same direction as Mina. It takes him a second, but he too recognizes the three. "Don't worry, Mina. They said they needed to talk to the Princess. I'm sure they aren't even looking for you."

"S-still," Mina looks worried. She quickly grabs Link by the hand and hurries through the glass doors towards the garden.

Once outside Link plants his feet, pulling Mina to a stop. "Wait," Link turns Mina to look at him, "You've been looking forward to this for days. We can't just run out as soon as you see your siblings."

"But…" Mina starts, but Link stops her by placing a finger to her lips.

"It will be fine," he smiles at her, "We can avoid your siblings if you want and still enjoy the celebration."

Mina glances down. _He's right. I really want to go back in, but…_ Taking a deep breath, Mina nods with a smile, "Thanks, Link. You're really sweet."

Link blushes slightly, rubbing the back of his neck. "Let's just go back in, okay?"

"Okay," Mina let's Link guide her back inside the ballroom. There were so many people out on the dancefloor now. A few were still trying to talk to Zelda, including the three, but most were either dancing or gathered into small groups. Mina and Link run into a few people that Link seems to know. Link makes many introductions, but Mina can hardly remember any of the names. The night passes in a happy blur as they talk, eat and drink. There are a few shows, performers showing skills of acrobatics, fire breathing, juggling and a few other interesting bits. There is even one woman who gets up and sings.

Though Mina is happy, there is still one thing missing. She really wants to dance at least once with Link, though something tells her he doesn't know how, at the same time, she isn't really sure if _she_ knows how. After a while, the two head out into the gardens again to get a bit of air. "So, are you enjoying yourself?" Link asks as they walk hand in hand through the late, autumn flowers. Mina nods, brushing her fingers over one of the roses. After a pause, Link asks, "Is something wrong? You've been really quiet."

"Well," Mina shyly admits, "I was kind of hoping to dance tonight."

"Oh," Link blushes in the dark, "Sorry, I don't really know how."

Mina giggles, "Yeah, I kind of got that feeling."

The two grow quiet for another few moments. Link stops walking and Mina turns to look at him. They could still hear the music. "I… I might not really know how to dance, but… I can try." Mina blushes as she looks at Link's face, "So… would you… Can I have this dance?" Mina giggles again and nods. Though she can't actively remember how to dance, her body seems to remember. As she and Link take their positions, Link's one hand holding hers, the other at the small of her back, Mina's free hand resting on his shoulder, they slowly begin to move.

They are both a bit clumsy at first, but after a moment they slowly begin to get used to the rhythm. They are so close Mina could smell the soap on Link from his bath earlier. Her heart was beating so fast, so hard Mina was sure Link could feel it. Or perhaps that was his heart? She couldn't really be sure. All Mina knew was she had never been as happy as she was at that moment. With a soft, content sigh, Mina leans her head on Link's shoulder. _Th-thump_. Link's heart pounds in his chest and he wraps his arm around Mina, holding her even closer as they sway together, the only sound was that of the music.

"M-Mina?" Link whispers, breaking the quiet, "When… when we return to Ordon, I… I have a spare room, so… if you want to, I would really like it if you came to stay with me." Mina looks up at Link in surprise. She could see the color in his cheeks in the moonlight.

"Link…" Mina looks into his eyes. They have stopped moving now. Mina smiles up at Link, her own face nearly as red as his, "I… I'd love to come stay with you."

"Really?" Link's face brightens causing Mina to giggle.

"Yeah! I've really enjoyed staying with you these last few days," Mina confesses, "And I would love to continue living with you." Link surprises Mina by wrapping both arms around her, holding her tightly.

"What the hell?!" both are startled by a shout and Mina quickly pulls away from Link as Maeve comes running towards them. She lunges towards Link, but the boy moves too quickly and Maeve ends up falling on her face, landing hard on the ground. Quickly standing, the girl glares over at Link. In a loud voice she demands, "What the hell were you doing to my sister?!"

"Nothing!" Link quickly replies, glancing over at Mina who chews her lip, obviously embarrassed.

"Nothing my ass," Maeve takes a step towards Link, fists clenched. Moving quickly, Link grabs Mina's hand and dashes away. "Hey! Get back here!" Maeve shouts, trying to chase after the two, but she was surprisingly slow for someone with such long legs. Mina glances back letting out a laugh as she follows Link deeper into the gardens. Link pulls Mina towards a maze of hedges where they find a spot to hide. Mina has to cover her mouth to hold back her laughter as she and Link crouch together behind a high hedge wall. They manage to loose Maeve quickly and Link lets out a quiet chuckle.

"Well, that was…" Link trails off, holding Mina to his chest as they hide together.

"Fun?" Mina finishes, giggling. Link slowly stands and looks around the hedges, motioning for Mina to follow. Moving quickly, the two find their way back to the castle, managing to avoid Maeve on the way back. Mina's laughing by the time they make it inside. "That was so much fun!"

Link chuckles, "I'm glad you're enjoying yourself. We'll probably have to get going tomorrow." Link squeezes Mina's hand and she sighs.

"Yeah, I suppose," Mina glances around. "Still, this has been really nice."

"Yeah," Link agrees.

The rest of the night passes quickly. It is late by the time Link and Mina make it back to the inn. There are a few others that are still up, but it seems Lana and a number of inn residents have already gone to bed. The two head to their room where Mina washes the makeup from her face in the bathroom while Link changes back into his usual tunic. When her face is clean, Mina goes back into the room where Link is packing his things, getting ready to leave in the morning.

"Link?" Mina catches the boy's attention, "Could you help me? Lana did my hair and I'm going to need help taking it down." Link nods and moves over to Mina's bed. He sits behind her and waits for her to remove the ribbon from her hair. Gently, Link begins to remove the pins and crystals from Mina's hair, one by one. The little flowers Lana had turned Mina's hair into, fall down her back in a cascade of long, red-brown curls. It's a slow process, but Link doesn't seem to mind. As he works, Link runs his fingers through Mina's soft hair, separating the curls. Though he wouldn't admit it, Link does enjoy the feel of Mina's silken hair through his fingers.

It takes a while before Link finally takes down the last of the curls. Mina collects the little crystals and pins in a small pouch. "Thank you, Link," Mina smiles back at the boy whose cheeks flush slightly. "Could you do one more thing for me?"

"Anything," Link smiles.

Pulling her hair to the side, Mina shows the back of her dress, "Could you untie this for me? It's hard to do it myself."

"Uh, s-sure," Link's face turns a deep shade of red as he clumsily undoes the ties at Mina's back. When his fingers brush her skin, Link jerks his hand back, suddenly feeling very flustered. "Done," his voice was a bit higher pitched than usual. Mina glances back at Link, seeing him quickly look away, face a deep shade of scarlet. The look on his face causes her own to flush slightly. Letting out a giggle, Mina stands and walks into the bathroom to change into her usual dress.

As soon as the door closes, Link sighs heavily, resting his palms on his knees. _What is wrong with me? I could take on Gannon without flinching, but untying the ribbon on the back of her dress was almost too much?!_ Link rubs his face with the heels of his hands, trying to calm himself. _Is it… could it be because I have feelings for Mina?_ Link closes his eyes and focuses on his breathing, managing to slow his pounding heart enough for his face to return to its normal color. He flinches slightly, quickly looking over at the bathroom door when he hears it open. Link stands and hurries to his bed as Mina sits on her own, packing her last few items away in her satchel. How she managed to fit so much in it, Link just couldn't understand. Then again, he didn't really need to know.

Once she's finished, Mina lays down on her bed, sighing happily, "I'm so tired, but I really had fun tonight."

"I'm glad," Link lies down on his bed, looking at the ceiling, "I had fun too, but I'll be happy to return home."

"Hmm," Mina smiles, eyes drifting closed.

Link looks over at the girl, watching as she drifts off to sleep. Sighing quietly, he turns the lantern down, darkening the room before he too falls asleep.

The next morning, Mina wakes first. With a sad sigh, she goes over to Link's bed and gently shakes his shoulder. "Link, it's morning. Time to wake up," Mina smiles down at the boy as his eyes slowly open. "Good morning Link."

Link smiles up at Mina, still half asleep, "Good morning." With a yawn, he sits up and stretches.

"I guess we'll be leaving today," Mina glances around the room. "I'll miss this place."

Link looks over at Mina, "Yeah, but it'll be nice to go home."

"Yeah," Mina chuckles, "It'll be nice to be able to call _someplace_ home."

Link slides out of bed, sitting next to Mina. "We should get some breakfast before going." Mina nods in agreement. She packs Thistle's little cage/bed away in her bag before the two head out of the room. Lana greets them when they enter the dining hall.

"Did you two have fun last night?" Lana asks as she serves them breakfast.

"Yes ma'am," Mina smiles up at the woman. The two had slept in a bit, so they are the last to get their food, so the room is mostly empty. When the two go to sit, Lana joins them. "It's really been great being here in Castle Town."

"I'm glad you've enjoyed yourself," Lana smiles at Mina as she and Link begin eating their breakfast.

"Um, actually Lana," Mina begins, "Link and I are going to be checking out today. We are going to be heading to Ordon."

"Oh," Lana looks a little sad, "Well, I suppose you can't stay here forever. I hope your journey is safe."

Mina giggles, "I'm sure it will, and if something happens, Link can protect me." Mina smiles at Link who smiles back.

Lana chuckles, "Well, either way, stay safe you two."

Once they finish eating, Link and Mina head to the front desk to check out. Mina pays Lana for their stay, despite the woman's protests. Mina hugs Lana for a long moment, lingering at the door as they say their goodbyes. Link brings Epona around to the front and helps Mina up into the saddle before settling into the front himself. He waves back at Lana as they head away from the inn. Mina lays her hands on Link's hips, looking down at his back. Lana had been almost like a mother to her during her stay there and it was hard to leave, but she knew she would have to eventually. At least she was in good company.

Link looks back at Mina as they slowly trot along, "We just need to make one stop before we go, okay?"

"Okay?" Mina looks at him, confused.

Link grins, "Telma would be pretty angry if we left without saying goodbye."

"Oh!" Mina blinks, "That's right, we should go say goodbye." Link laughs as he aims Epona towards the bar.

Back at the inn, a certain tall female with dirty blond hair walks through the door. "Excuse me?" Maeve calls to Lana who was putting away several keys. With the celebration mostly over a number of people have already checked out.

"Can I help you?" Lana asks, walking over to the masculine looking woman.

"Yeah, did you have a girl staying here? She's this tall," Maeve hold her hand at Mina's height, "with long red-brown hair reaching to her knees and purple eyes. Her name is Mina." Lana blinks, looking at Maeve suspiciously. "She's my little sister. I've been looking for her."

Lana sighs heavily, "Yeah, she stayed here."

"Finally," Maeve sighs in relief before looking at Lana, "Wait, _stayed,_ as in, no longer here?"

"Yes," Lana looks at the woman in front of her, "She and Link checked out this morning."

"Damn!" Maeve curses, "How long ago did they leave?!"

Lana raises an eyebrow, "Look, Link is a good boy, don't you go causing trouble for them."

Maeve glares at Lana, speaking slowly, deliberately, "Mina is my little sister. I know what's best for her." With that, she turns and dashes from the inn, jumping onto the back of her speckled mare, she rides off, aiming towards the South Gates. She had managed to find someone a few days ago who told her where Ordon was. He even sold Maeve a map. Determined, she heads off in that direction.

Meanwhile, at Telma's Bar, Link and Mina speak to Telma a while, stocking up on supplies before saying their goodbyes and heading out themselves. Like Maeve, the two take the south route, but at a more leisurely pace, in no rush. Link tells Mina about some of his travels over the last year, showing her a few of his favorite spots. Normally, the trip to Ordon would have taken Link two days, but the two were having such a nice time together, Link showing Mina his favorite spots to visit. They spend half a day at Lake Hylia and halfway through their trip they stop at Kakariko Village. Link introduces Mina to Renaldo and his daughter. The shaman is sympathetic to Mina.

He makes a few suggestions on how to get her memories back. Mina listens politely, thanking him for his concern. Link shows Mina around before they get a room at the local inn. The next morning, the two head out. The next day is spent on horseback. The two make frequent stops to let Mina stretch her legs since she isn't used to traveling by horseback. They finally arrive in Ordon three days after leaving Castle Town.

The village was nestled in a quiet little valley. They have to cross a bridge stretched across a wide, deep ravine, traveling through a wooded area with cliff walls to either side. Mina looks around. "Weird, this feels familiar," Mina tells Link. The boy was walking next to Epona, Mina still on the horse's back.

"Really?" Link looks up at Mina.

Mina thinks for a while, "I suppose I did have visions for a while. Maybe I saw this place and just don't remember." Link nods, looking forward. They pass by a little spring that Link points out as the "Spirit Spring," telling Mina how the spirit, Ordona, resides there, protecting their village. Mina smiles, listening as the boy talks. When they draw near the village, they reach a wide, open area with a wooden gate at one end nestled between walls that look almost as if they were created by nature. At one side of the area was a farm with crops ready to be harvested with a couple scarecrows placed throughout the area. At the other side was a stable carved into one of the cliff walls and next to it was a large, thick tree with what looked like a little three story house carved into it. Link stops, closing his eyes and breathing deeply, "Welcome home, Mina."

Mina smiles down at Link, dismounting and coming to stand next to the boy. "It's good to be home." At that moment a young woman with short, dirty blond hair and green eyes comes running through the village gates and towards the two of them.

"Link!" the girl calls out, waving. Link waves back. Mina blinks, looking at the girl. _Oh, that's Ilia._ Mina chews her lip as the girl comes to stop in front of them. "Welcome home, Link!"

Link smiles at the girl as he greets her. "Hey Ilia." Link looks back at Mina, pulling her forward, "Ilia, this is Mina. Mina, this is Ilia." Link introduces the two. Link blushes slightly as he explains, "Mina is going to be living here with me."

"Oh?" Ilia looks a little surprised, but smiles at Mina, "It's nice to meet you Mina."

Mina gives a nervous smile back, "It's nice to meet you too, Ilia."

"I was going to show Mina around the house and let her get settled before heading into the village," Link explains.

"Okay, I'll be at home. Come stop by and tell me about your trip, okay?" Ilia turns away. Link nods and waves as the girl walks away.

"Well, ready to go inside?" Link looks back at Mina. With a smile, the girl nods.


	11. Chapter 11

**Chapter 11 – New Home**

"I was going to show Mina around the house and let her get settled before heading into the village," Link explains.

"Okay, I'll be at home. Come stop by and tell me about your trip, okay?" Ilia turns away. Link nods and waves as the girl walks away.

"Well, ready to go inside?" Link looks back at Mina. With a smile, the girl nods.

Mina takes Link's hand in her own and follows him over to the stable. She waits for him to make sure Epona is comfortable, getting her water and grain, before walking with him over to the front door. Link pulls out a key and opens the door, pushing it open for Mina to enter. Walking inside, Mina looks around. The ground floor of the building was separated into a few rooms with walls and doors, much like a normal house. A couch was against the near wall and through the left doorway was a kitchen and through the right was a bathroom. At the far end was a staircase leading to the second floor. After showing her around the ground floor, Link leads Mina up the stairs and shows her the second floor. This level was smaller than the first, though it was shaped similar with two rooms. Link points out the one on the left as his and the one on the right he shows Mina into. "This is your room," Link looks at Mina, a little self-conscious, "You can do whatever you want with it."

"Thank you," Mina walks into the room, taking a little while to explore her surroundings. The room had a closet at one end, a bed at the other and in between, on the wall across from the door, was a desk with a chair sitting under a window. It wasn't anything like Mina had expected. Mina isn't sure when Link leaves, but when she looks back towards the door, he isn't there. Closing her bedroom door, Mina walks around the room again. None of the outside walls were flat. They were all rounded, like the inside of a tree. Mina runs her fingers along the wall and was surprised to find it was actually warm to the touch. _Come to think of it, I didn't see an actual fireplace. Is this how the house stays warm?_

Heading over to the closet, Mina finds there are a few wooden hangers already inside. Taking her time to unpack, Mina hangs her dress from the dance up along with a few changes of clothes she didn't realize she had. There was a small dresser against one wall of the closet that Mina places her folded under garments into with her few pairs of shoes lined up at the bottom of the closet. After that, Mina places the little toys Link won for her on the bed. It was actually bigger than she had expected and comfortably fit the toys with room left for her to sprawl out on if she wanted.

Mina takes the time to change into something warmer. The weather had gotten colder and Mina wanted to change before going out. Luckily she had packed something warm before she left home - not that she really remembered packing it. Mina starts by pulling on a pair of thick, white tights before putting on a soft, white cotton underdress that reached to her mid-shin with lace around the bottom. The dress she changes into was a deep, sapphire blue, reaching to her ankles with long sleeves. It was a thicker material and very warm. The front came up to her neck and laced up with a black tie. She also finds tall, black-blue boots that reach to just below her knees along with a dark brown hooded cloak and matching fur-lined gloves.

Gathering the cloak, gloves and boots, Mina heads to the first floor of the home. There were a few hooks next to the front door with a little area for their boots. Mina hangs her cloak, putting the gloves in the inside pocket with her boots placed just under. After that, Mina decides to explore the house a little better. On the first floor, there was a latch in the floor next to the stairs. Opening this, Mina finds it leads to a ladder going down into the basement. There was a ladder next to the stairs on the second floor as well that Mina assumes leads to an attic.

There really wasn't much to see inside the little house though there were a few pictures and a small statuette sitting on a shelf in the main room. Among the pictures were one of Epona, another of a few villagers gathered together smiling and even one of Link grinning while holding a large fish. Inside the bathroom was a linen closet inside one wall with a toilet and bathtub against the far wall. There was a little window placed high in the wall that hopefully no one could see into. The kitchen had an oven and plenty of countertop space with a pantry stuck in one corner. The living space had a round table with four chairs spaced around it with a couch against one wall, made curved to fit tightly against the wall.

Mina heads back to the second floor and knocks on Link's bedroom door. Link opens the door and smiles down at Mina. "All settled in?" Link asks.

Nodding, Mina asks, "Can we head into the village now?"

Link laughs, "Sure." Leaving his bedroom, Link leads Mina down to the first floor. Mina pulls on her boots, lacing them quickly. Link looks down at Mina, "That's a pretty dress."

"Thank you," Mina blushes slightly, "I guess I packed it before leaving home. I found it in my bag along with a cloak and some other things. We must have figured it would be cold by the time we returned home."

"It's good that you thought ahead, even if you can't remember," Link says as they leave the house together.

Mina giggles, "That's exactly what I thought."

"Oh, before I forget," Link reaches into one of the little bags hanging from his belt and pulls out a key. "Here, this is for you. It's a spare key."

Mina blushes slightly as she takes the key, "Thank you!" Mina puts the key away in her satchel. Link pauses next to a little post sitting next to his front porch. "What is it?" Mina asks, coming to stand next to the blond boy.

"Huh," Link blinks, "My sign is gone. I had a sign here saying 'Link's House,' but it's missing. Hm, maybe Rusl moved it." Link turns and heads towards the gates leading into the village, Mina walking next to him. Link takes her over to one of the little houses. The sign outside says 'Rusl and Uli's House.' Link knocks and a lovely woman answers.

"Link! Oh, you're back," the woman seems very happy to see Link.

"Hello Uli," Link smiles at the woman who notices Mina standing behind him, "Uli, this is Mina." Link introduces the two, "Mina, this is Uli."

"It's nice to meet you," Mina steps forward, smiling at the woman.

"It's nice to meet you, too," Uli smiles back.

"Uli, do you know what happened to the sign outside my home?" Link asks, "It's missing and I was wondering if someone had moved it."

"Oh, yes," Uli goes to a corner of the room and pulls Link's sign out from under a blanket. Mina was surprised to see it was a wooden sign sitting between odd looking horns, curved and forming a circle with a space missing at the top. "A strange young man was in town yesterday asking about you. Rusl got worried and went to your home. He removed your sign and brought it back here to prevent the man from finding where you live."

"Oh," Link takes the sign, "That's worrying. I'll have to thank Rusl for doing that. Although, I suppose we'll have to add your name to it anyway." Link looks at Mina with a smile, making the girl blush.

Uli looks surprised, "The two of you are living together?"

Link blushes, rubbing the back of his neck, "Oh, uh… well…"

Mina steps forward, "We met in Castle Town. We were staying at the same inn. It was my first time in a large city and I didn't feel very safe by myself, so Link was showing me around and keeping me company while waiting for his friends to arrive so they could present a statue to the princess. I… I actually lost my memories recently and Link has been trying to help me regain them. When the celebration was over at the city, Link invited me to stay with him."

"Oh, that's terrible," Uli looks concerned, "I'm so sorry."

"Thank you," Mina looks down at her hands, "It's not all that bad. I did actually run into my siblings. I guess I was traveling with them when I lost my memories and was separated from them."

"Oh?" Uli blinks, looking at Mina, "Why didn't you stay with them?"

Mina shifts a little, "It… It's kind of hard to explain, but I felt uncomfortable going with them. They said that we are from a different country, outside of Hyrule and that we were going to go back soon. I just… didn't feel comfortable going with them, so I decided to stay with Link."

"Hm, I see," Uli pats Mina on the shoulder, "Well, it's nice to have you here. Welcome to Ordon, dear."

Mina giggles, "Thank you."

They stay a bit longer before the two head out. "Who do you think it was?" Mina asks, "The one looking for you?"

"I'm not really sure," Link shrugs. "Hey, if you want to stay here, I'll go run this back to the house," Link holds up the sign. Mina nods and Link runs for the village gates, trying to hurry. Mina chuckles, watching him go. A moment later, Uli walks out of her front door.

"Hello dear, where's Link?" Uli asks.

"He went to take the sign back," Mina motions towards the gates.

"Oh, I see," Uli looks back at Mina, "After that where are the two of you headed?"

"Link is going to show me around the village," Mina explains. They both look towards the gates as Link comes dashing back over, panting.

"Well, have fun," Uli smiles at the two, "And try to stay out of trouble."

Link laughs and waves at Uli as he and Mina walk further into the village. "I like her," Mina says, looking up at Link, "She's really nice."

"Yeah," Link chuckles, "Uli has always been really kind."

From there, they head over to a little shop, the sign reading 'Sera's Sundries.'

"This is one of the stores here in Ordon," Link explains, "Technically, Haunch owns the shop but Sera runs it." The two walk in and the round woman behind the counter looks over with a smile.

"Well, if it isn't Link! How was your trip?" Sera asks.

"It was good, but I'm glad to be back home," Link smiles back at the woman. When she glances at Mina, Link pulls the girl forward, "This is Mina."

"It's nice to meet you," Sera smiles at the girl. They spend only a few minutes in the shop before heading back out. Link takes Mina around and introduces her to a few other people before heading towards the largest building in the village.

"This is Mayor Bo's home," Link explains, "He's Ilia's father."

"Wow, it's so big," Mina looks up at the building as she and Link approach. Link knocks on the door and a tall, round man with a bald head and a mustache that reminded Mina of tusks answers.

"Link, you're back," the man looks at the boy, "come in, come in." The two walk into the man's house. "How was your trip to the castle? Did things go well with Princess Zelda?"

"Yes," Link looks back at the man, "she really liked the statue. Even though the Gorons couldn't get there until the day of the celebration we were still able to make the delivery on time."

"That's good," Mayor Bo finally looks at Mina, "Oh, who is this?"

Link chuckles nervously, "This is Mina. She's going to be living with me."

"What?!" Bo looks at Link, shocked, "Link, this isn't like you at all! How could you bring a girl home like this?! You barely know her!" Both teens faces turn red as the Mayor scolds Link. Link tries to interrupt, but the man continues, "This is incredibly irresponsible, Link!"

"Actually, sir," Mina interrupts, "Link and I got to know one another in Castle Town. And he offered to let me stay with him because I lost my memories and didn't have any other place to stay."

"Oh," Bo looks stunned, "You…"

Mina nods, "Yeah, he's been trying to help me regain them, but…"

"It hurts Mina to remember," Link explains.

Mina nods again, "It was really nice of Link to offer to let me stay with him, so please don't be angry with him."

"Oh, I see, well…" Bo scratches her back of his neck. "So, you don't remember anything?"

Mina blushes, "I do remember a few things. I know I have a few siblings. We were actually traveling together when I lost my memories. We…" Mina reluctantly explains the rest, "We _did_ actually run into them in the town, but… I didn't feel comfortable going with them."

"So, you chose to come here with Link instead of going home with your family?" Bo asks.

Mina looks down, nodding, "Y-yeah. I just… I felt like I was supposed to be here and since they said we are from a different country… I didn't want to leave Hyrule, so… And, besides, I felt uncomfortable around them, like they were strangers. I didn't want to go anywhere with them."

Mayor Bo sighs, "Well… I suppose I can't fault you for that. But, still… what if you get your memories back and want to go home?"

Mina shakes her head, "That won't happen." Link doesn't notice Mina glancing over at him, but Bo does.

"Oh, I see," Bo smiles. "Well, _I'm_ not telling Ilia."

Link chuckles nervously. Laughing, Mina explains, "Actually, we already saw Ilia earlier. She knows I'll be staying with Link, if that's what you're worried about."

"Ah, I suppose that does make things a bit easier," Bo scratches his chin, "Oh, and Link, I don't know if anyone warned you, but there was an odd male here in town yesterday looking for you."

"Yes, Uli warned me," Link furrows his brow, "Did the person say why they were looking for me or who they were?"

"No, they didn't," Bo looks a little worried, but quickly changes the subject when Ilia walks into the room, "Ah, there you are, Ilia! Link came to visit."

"Hey Link," Ilia smiles over at the blond boy, "Are you showing Mina around the village?"

"Yeah," Link smiles at the girl, "I just thought we could stop by and say 'hello' since we were near. I also thought it would be good to introduce Mina to the village's mayor." To this, Bo nods.

Ilia walks over to stand near Mina, "So, how do you like our little village so far?"

"It's very nice," Mina smiles shyly up at the slightly taller female, "Much quieter than the city. I feel much more at ease here."

"That's great," Ilia places a hand on Mina's shoulder, "I'm sure you'll enjoy living here. Ordon might not be as exciting as the city, but life here is peaceful and we all enjoy it."

"I'm sure I will," Mina agrees. They stay for another few minutes before Mina and Link leave the mayor's house. Link takes Mina to the other side of the village, opposite the entrance where they find another wooden gate.

"This is the goat farm where I work," Link explains, "Fado sort of runs the farm and I help heard the goats." Link takes Mina into the field where the goats are grazing then over to a tall man with brown hair cut close at the sides and green eyes. "Fado," Link greets the man with a raised arm.

"Link!" the man greets him back, "Welcome back bud!" His eyes then land on Mina, widening slightly.

"Fado, this is Mina," Link introduces the two, "Mina, meet Fado."

Mina gives the man a polite smile, "Hello."

"Mina is going to be living with me," Link explains, much to the man's shock.

Mina quickly adds in, like she had with everyone else, "Link and I met in Castle Town. I lost my memories and Link has been helping me try to get them back. When he had to come back here, I decided to come with him since I don't really have a place to go home to."

"That's terrible," Fado gives the girl a sympathetic look, "Oh you know Mayor Bo has a big house."

"Yes," Mina gives the man a polite yet slightly confused smile, "We stopped by there earlier."

"I mean," Fado continues, "he has plenty of room, you know? I'm sure he'd let you stay with him and Ilia since she went through the same thing a year ago."

Mina looks over at Link in surprise. None of the other people they talked to that day had suggested that. "Oh, uh," Mina rubs the back of her neck, "Actually, since Link is the one helping me get my memories back, I would really rather stay with him."

"But, wouldn't that be weird?" Fado asks, "Livin' with a boy you barely know?"

"Link and I got to know one another in Castle Town, I really don't mind," Mina gives a slightly tense smile, "Besides, I only met Mayor Bo and Ilia briefly, so I wouldn't really feel comfortable staying with them. Not to mention, I already unpacked over at Link's house and I really don't want to have to pack again."

"Oh yeah, I suppose that would make things difficult, not really knowing Ilia or Bo," Fado scratches the side of his head.


	12. Chapter 12

**Chapter 12 – Roommates**

"I mean," Fado continues, "he has plenty of room, you know? I'm sure he'd let you stay with him and Ilia since she went through the same thing a year ago."

Mina looks over at Link in surprise. None of the other people they talked to that day had suggested that. "Oh, uh," Mina rubs the back of her neck, "Actually, since Link is the one helping me get my memories back, I would really rather stay with him."

"But, wouldn't that be weird?" Fado asks, "Livin' with a boy you barely know?"

"Link and I got to know one another in Castle Town, I really don't mind," Mina gives a slightly tense smile, "Besides, I only met Mayor Bo and Ilia briefly, so I wouldn't really feel comfortable staying with them. Not to mention, I already unpacked over at Link's house and I really don't want to have to pack again."

"Oh yeah, I suppose that would make things difficult, not really knowing Ilia or Bo," Fado scratches the side of his head.

Link and Mina only spend a few minutes at the farm before they decide to head back into the village. Even though they had only spent a little while walking around and speaking with the villagers, it was already beginning to get dark. Mina looks up at the sky for a moment before turning her attention to the boy beside her, "Hey, it's getting kind of late. Do you want to head back to your house for dinner? I could cook something for us."

Link smiles over at Mina, "It's _our_ house, and sure. We can pick up some ingredients from Sera's shop on our way back."

The way Link said that made Mina's chest feel warm. "Okay, that would be great!" Mina smiles up at the boy as they make their way through the village. They stop at the little shop to pick up a few items for dinner before heading home.

As the exit the village gates, Link looks over at his crops. "I'll have to start harvesting soon," the boy observes, "It's lucky I grow extra crops, so we should have enough for winter and then some!"

Mina laughs, "That's good then!" It was starting to get dark out. Mina noticed how the days were beginning to get shorter; another sign that winter was coming. As they enter the house Link moves towards the kitchen, Mina following close behind. "I can cook dinner if you want," she suggests, "You can just relax for a while."

"It's alright, I don't mind helping," Link pulls out a pot and fills it with water from the sink. Mina wonders where the water came from, but doesn't ask. "Besides," he continues, "I've been making meals for myself for as long as I can remember."

"Really?" Mina asks, "Have you always lived on your own?"

Link shrugs, "Well, I did live with Mayor Bo when I was really small, but I ended up moving out here as soon as I was big enough to take care of myself."

Mina watches the boy for a moment, "What… what happened to your parents?"

The question caught Link off guard, "My… I'm not really sure. According to Mayor Bo, I just sort of… found my way here when I was really young. I don't really remember. This house was actually abandoned a long time ago, most people want to live _inside_ the village gates, but I don't mind it. I like living here!" Link smiles back at Mina before turning his attention to the vegetables and fish they brought home with them. Mina can't help feeling sad for Link. _So… he's always been alone? Sure, Ilia is his friend, but… he's been living by himself since he was a kid… That's so sad._ Mina wants to hug Link, but instead turns her attention to helping him prepare dinner.

"This is a nice house," Mina comments, trying to make conversation, "How does it say warm like this?"

"There's a furnace in the basement, it heats water that flows through the tree," Link explains, "When I was younger, I was worried it would hurt the tree, but it doesn't. I think it actually helps the tree, in a way."

"What do you mean?" Mina asks.

Link points up, "While the other trees drop their leaves and hibernate during winter, my tree keeps it's leaves longer. I like to think the warm water is the cause of this."

Mina smiles, "I see." Link takes care of the fish while Mina tends to the vegetables, both adding their ingredients to the stew. Mina stirs it while Link jumps up to sit on the countertop.

"So," Link smiles over at Mina, "Do you think you'll like living here?"

Mina giggles, "Yeah, I really like this house and the people from your village seem really nice. I think… we should probably _not_ tell them about my visions though. It might embarrass them to know I was seeing stuff about them before I ever came here."

"Oh, right," Link blinks, "Yeah, that's probably true."

Mina smiles, looking over a few of the cooking herbs Link had in his kitchen. There was salt and pepper, but not much else. "When it gets warm again, would it be alright if I planted herbs?" Mina asks, picking up the salt and sprinkling a little into the stew.

"Sure, you can plant whatever you want," Link smiles at the girl, "This is your home too, remember?"

Mina giggles, "Okay!"

There is a loud bang from the front room as the door flies open. Link jumps down from the counter and grabs for a knife, ready for a fight when someone bursts into the kitchen. "Where… the HELL have you been?!" the very angry female was glaring down at Link.

"Maeve?!" Mina stares at her sister who looked like she was ready to murder Link. The boy simply stared at her, the knife in his hand lowering.

"I've been here for a day already and that was _after_ getting lost on my way here!" Maeve continues to shout, "Why in the hades did it take you _longer_ to arrive than me?!"

"What are you even _doing_ here?!" Mina interjects, moving to stand between her angry sister and Link, "How did you know where Link lives?"

Maeve's eye twitches and she stands tense, "I asked around Castle Town and one of the people I spoke to said Link lives here in Ordon. Another guy told me how to get here and sold me a map, but that's not what's important! Why did it take you guys so much longer to get here than me?!"

Mina pinches the bridge of her nose, taking a deep breath. Having Maeve there was going to be a problem. She was… not friendly and Mina could tell she and Link weren't going to get along. Sighing heavily, Mina explains, "We made a couple stops along the way so Link could show me some of the places he likes to visit. Besides, we weren't in any rush to get back."

Maeve continues to glare at Link, "You had better not have tried anything with my sister."

"Why are you here?!" Mina demands. She was obviously losing her patience with the older female.

Maeve crosses her arms, "I'm not going to just leave my sister in a foreign country with some _boy_ she just met. If you're staying then so am I."

Mina sighs, "Don't you think that will hurt the others?" Maeve twitches, "I mean, one of us staying is one thing, but for _both_ of us to stay? How do you think our mother will take that?" Maeve presses her lips together, furrowing her brow. "And where are the others? Do they know you decided to stay, or are they waiting for you?"

Maeve looks off to the side, "I told them I was staying too. I… I'm just worried about you, that's all."

"Don't be, Link will take care of me," Mina turns away from the girl and moves back over to stir the stew.

"I'm not going home without you," Maeve stands her guard.

"Then where are you going to stay?" Mina demands, looking back at the girl, "There are only two beds here and they are both taken."

"You're… staying _here_?" Maeve looks over at Link.

"Oh, don't you dare go getting angry at him," Mina waves her finger at Maeve, one hand on her hip, "Link did nothing wrong here. He is _helping_ me and that is all there is to it." Maeve tenses like a child being scolded by their mother. "He is being _very_ generous, letting me stay in his spare room, so don't you go and give him a hard time about any of this, you hear me?!"

"If you're staying here, then so am I," Maeve sounds a lot less forceful this time.

Link gives a heavy sigh, "Well… There _is_ a couch Maeve can sleep on until she is able to get a place of her own." Maeve looks over at Link, this time a little surprised. Link looks back at her, "To show you I'm not 'trying anything,' you can stay here, but you'll have to sleep on the couch and you'll have to be a bit nicer to me, alright?"

As Maeve nods, Mina huffs and looks at her sister, "See, he is very generous, so you _behave_ _yourself_ , you understand?"

"Yes!" Maeve squeaks out.

"Good, now out, I have to finish dinner," Mina shoos the girl out of the kitchen and Link follows behind, moving towards the living area with Maeve while Mina finishes preparing their food.

Maeve looked a little shaken as she sits down. Link takes the chance to close the still open front door. "Wow…" Maeve speaks up, talking in a low voice to try and keep Mina from hearing, "That… Mina looked a lot like our mom back there. It was… kind of scary."

Link blinks, looking at the girl in surprise, "Really? What is you mom like?" He takes a seat on the opposite end of the couch while Maeve tries to collect herself.

"Well, she's usually very nice and cheerful, like Mina, but… whenever one of us would do something bad or get into trouble when we were kids, she would always put a hand on her hip and shake her finger at us while she scolded us, just like Mina did back there. Sometimes, if we really messed up we would get a swat from this one wooden spoon she kept handy." Maeve shutters, "No one wanted that. That thing could leave a red mark on your bottom that would hurt all day. Back there… it was like getting scolded by mom all over again." Maeve shutters again.

Link isn't sure whether to laugh or feel sorry for Maeve. "Look," Link catches the girl's attention, "I'm sorry things aren't well between you and Mina right now. The last thing I want is to come between her and her family, but you have think about what _she_ wants, and what Mina wants is to be _here_ in _Hyrule_. Try to look at this from her point of view; to Mina you are a stranger right now and I am her friend. Even if she _knows_ you're family, she still feels uncomfortable around you right now. Just try to understand, I am doing what I can for her. I'm sure having you here will help her memories come back and, when they do, if she wants to leave you can take her home, but for now please understand that she wants to be here."

Maeve remains silent, her head turned away from the boy. "I just… can't accept that," Maeve speaks quietly, "She is a member of _our_ family, not yours. Have you ever lost someone?" Maeve suddenly turns to Link. She looked upset.

Link sighs, "Last year, the children from my village were kidnapped and my friend, Ilia… she was hurt pretty bad. She lost her memories, like Mina did. That… was the closets I ever came to losing someone."

"Then you get it, right?" Maeve asks, "We thought we lost Mina. We thought she was _dead_ , but we still had to keep going. For our mission, we had to try and push that aside and do what we came here to do. You could never understand what it's like to lose someone so important to you not just once, but _twice_."

Link stares at the girl, "I'm sorry."

Maeve scoffs as she stands, "Right… If you were really sorry you would have told her to go home with us, not give her a reason to stay."

"She would have wanted to stay either way," Link points out, "You said yourself, she _wanted_ to come here." Maeve glares down at Link.

"Say what you want, but for me you _took_ my little sister away from us," Maeve's voice was cold, "You are the enemy here, no matter how nice you are to her, I will never forgive you for tearing my family apart."

"It's finished," Mina calls from the kitchen.

Link knew Maeve was just angry and trying to hurt him, but she had a point and he couldn't help feeling a deep sense of guilt over what she had said. He _knew_ he could have told Mina to go home with her family, but he _didn't_. He _knew_ he could have made it difficult for her to stay by not offering to bring her back to Ordon, or let her stay with him, but he _did_. He made choices that made it easier for Mina to leave behind her home and her family. If they knew that was what she wanted from the beginning, it would have made a difference, but they didn't. They couldn't be sure if staying in Hyrule is something she would have normally wanted or if she just wanted to see another country. Either way, she was there now and refusing to leave and that was causing her family pain.

Link had never had a real family before, though Bo was like a father figure to him and Rusl was like a brother, they weren't blood. He had no idea what it would be like to lose a younger sibling that you loved so much. And to find them alive just to hear them say they don't want to go home with you… Link now understands why Maeve hates him so much. He was sure he would have hated him too had he been in that situation. Link decides he will try to make this easier on Maeve. He didn't want to hurt her any more than he must have already, though that doesn't mean she will do the same.

After dinner, Link offers to clean up while Mina and Maeve make themselves comfortable. Link tells the girls where they can find spare blankets and tells Maeve to go ahead and make herself at home. Mina was a little surprised by this, but simply gives the boy a smile as they set up a sleeping spot for the taller female. Afterwards, Mina shows her sister her room.

"Is there a lock on your door?" Maeve asks, entering the room.

Mina sighs, "No, but I don't really _need_ one. Link is a gentleman and won't try to enter without knocking first."

"I don't trust him," Maeve grumbles, "And, honestly, how can you?! I mean, you've only known the boy for a few days!"

Mina gives the girl a pointed look, "Maeve…" sighing, Mina takes a seat on her bed, "Look, what I'm about to tell you does _not_ go beyond this room, alright?"

Maeve gives her sister a suspicious look, "Alright?"

"Promise me?" Mina pushes.

After a pause, Maeve concedes as she sits on the bed with her sister, "Fine, I promise."

Mina takes a deep breath, "I think when I was having visions they weren't just random things I was seeing about Hyrule. I think… I was having visions of _Link_."

"What do you mean?" Maeve asks.

Mina feels a little self-conscious as she admits, "Well… most of the memories I have are of the visions right now and of those… most of them are of Link. Of him fighting monsters, battling dungeons and saving people… saving _Hyrule_. I know it sounds… weird, but I feel like I know him. Like I knew him before I ever spoke to him and you… I don't really remember much of you, our family or anything of our homeland. Can't you just understand? There _has_ to be a reason I was having these visions. A reason I know these things and saw these things that were happening far away. I feel like I should be _here_. That's why I wanted to stay, not because you and the others were strangers to me, but because I think I have a purpose here." Maeve looks down at her hands. "I don't want to hurt you," Mina continues, "But I want to stay here. Can't you please understand that?"

"You belong at home, with your family," Maeve tries to argue.

"I belong here," Mina sits in the middle of her bed, "And I'm not going anywhere. If you want to stay, then that's fine, but don't try to force me to leave with you."

"You'll change your mind once you get your memories back," Maeve stands, "I know you will. And when you're ready to head home, I'll be waiting." Maeve leaves the girl's bedroom and Mina sighs heavily. She had been hoping to live 'happily ever after' with Link, just the two of them, but it looked like Maeve was going to make things a little difficult for them. _Perhaps… if I explained things to Maeve… if I told her about my feelings for Link and that I think I fell for him long before coming here… she might understand?_ Mina immediately dismisses that idea. If anything, it might make Maeve hate the boy even more.

"Why can't she just understand?" Mina whispers to herself.


	13. Chapter 13

**Chapter 13 – Settling In**

"You belong at home, with your family," Maeve tries to argue.

"I belong here," Mina sits in the middle of her bed, "And I'm not going anywhere. If you want to stay, then that's fine, but don't try to force me to leave with you."

"You'll change your mind once you get your memories back," Maeve stands, "I know you will. And when you're ready to head home, I'll be waiting." Maeve leaves the girl's bedroom and Mina sighs heavily. She had been hoping to live 'happily ever after' with Link, just the two of them, but it looked like Maeve was going to make things a little difficult for them. _Perhaps… if I explained things to Maeve… if I told her about my feelings for Link and that I think I fell for him long before coming here… she might understand?_ Mina immediately dismisses that idea. If anything, it might make Maeve hate the boy even more.

"Why can't she just understand?" Mina whispers to herself.

The next morning, Mina is the first to wake. It was still a little hard to believe; that she was in Ordon and living with Link now. With a smile on her face, Mina dresses before heading to the first floor of the house to use the facilities. After washing her hands, Mina walks towards the kitchen, glancing over at Maeve who was deep asleep on the couch. Mina looks around the kitchen before settling on eggs and sausage for breakfast along with a small loaf of honey bread which she bakes herself.

It takes a little longer to cook everything herself, but Mina knew it was well worth it when the smell of food fills the house. It was even enough to wake Maeve from a dead sleep. As she stumbles into the kitchen, rubbing the sleep from her eyes, Maeve looks over at Mina and asks, "Is that breakfast? It smells really good."

"Thank you," Mina smiles over at the girl, "It'll be ready soon, so go wash up." Maeve nods and turns before slowly making her way towards the bathroom. She obviously wasn't a morning person. Mina quickly sets the table, pulling the bread out of the oven last of all and slicing it for the three of them. Once everything is laid out, Mina heads up to the second floor, knocking on Links door before quietly entering. Link's room looked almost identical to Mina's, just mirrored with the boy's belongings spread throughout it. Link was still asleep, lying on his side in the middle of his large bed.

"Link," Mina gently shakes his shoulder, "Breakfast is ready. Come on down before Maeve eats it all."

Link grumbles in his sleep, rolling onto his back before sitting up and rubbing his eyes. "What?"

Mina smiles down at the boy, "I made breakfast. You should come down before Maeve eats your share."

"Ah, okay," Link blinks a few times before rolling out of bed and following Mina out of the room. Maeve was just sitting at the table as they walk into the dining room. "Good morning," Link reluctantly greets the girl as he and Mina sit as well.

"Yeah, morning," Maeve grumbles back, glaring slightly. Mina serves the tea while Link and Maeve take their food, Mina taking her own last.

"This all looks amazing," Link compliments, smiling over at Mina, "Thanks for cooking Mina."

Maeve rolls her eyes while Link isn't looking. "Yeah, Mina was always helping mom cook back home," Maeve takes a bite of the food, "Her food is always the best."

"Really?" Mina blushes slightly, "Thanks. I'm glad you like it."

After the food is gone, Mina begins clearing the table as Link stands, "I'm going to head out to the fields now. I need to start harvesting the crops before it starts to frost."

"Okay, what would you like for lunch?" Mina asks, following link towards the door where he pulls on his boots.

"You can make whatever you'd like. I'll eat anything you cook," Link smiles back at Mina as he leaves the house. Mina nods, watching the boy as he heads towards his fields across the road. Mina only now notices the small barn sitting next to the crops. Link heads into it before going to work on his crops. Mina walks back inside, surprised to see Maeve washing dishes.

"So, what do you intend to do today?" Mina asks as she helps dry and put away their dishes.

"I don't know," Maeve was glaring slightly at the water, "You know, it's kind of annoying how he just _expects_ you to cook for him."

Mina rolls her eyes as she corrects the girl, "I was _offering_ , Maeve. Besides, it's not like either of us are working or anything. Cooking is the least I can do to repay him for letting _both_ of us live here. And _you_ should try doing something around here too. Since we're going to be eating his food, you could help him harvest the crops." Maeve responds by scoffing. That was when something pops into Mina's head. It's an image of a younger Maeve being scolded by a boy perhaps a decade older than her. He had short, wavy brown hair and brown eyes. He was saying something to her that Mina repeats out loud, "If you don't work, you don't eat. Right?"

Maeve twitches, looking over at Mina with a surprised look on her face. "Wh-what?"

"I don't know, it popped into my head just now," Mina explains, "Who is the boy with brown hair and eyes? I've remembered a couple things about him."

"Sebastian, our oldest brother," Maeve explains. A small smile spreads across her face, "He used to say stuff like that to me to get me to help out around the house. I was never very good at housekeeping type stuff so they made me help in the fields…" Maeve trails off, glancing over at Mina who was giving her a pointed look. "Okay, fine! I'll help him with the crops!"

Mina smiles, "Good! And I'll make some soup for lunch!" Maeve groans as they finish the dishes, heading to put on her boots before joining Link in the fields.

As she approaches, Link looks up with a cocked eyebrow. Maeve quickly explains, "Mina's making me do this, okay. I don't want to help you."

"That's fine," Link returns his attention to the vegetables he was harvesting, "I know you don't like me, but I still appreciate you helping me with this. There should be enough crops here to last us all winter but I think we should plant extra in the spring, just in case."

"Okay," Maeve was only half paying attention, "What about the wheat? Will we be selling it to traders or something?"

"No, we have a mill in the village that we can take it to," Link explains, "For a fee they will grind it for us. Everything else, we'll have to pickle and can ourselves."

Maeve nods, "Okay then, and meat? What will we do about meat?"

"I can hunt and there's a river that we can fish in as well as a butcher in the village," Link stands up to load a bushel of squash into the nearby cart. "What about you, can you hunt or fish?"

"A little," Maeve shrugs, "but I'm not all that skilled with a bow. Hunting was more Reever's job back home. I mostly took care of the animals."

"There's actually a goat farm on the other side of Ordon that I work at," Link actually smiles a little over at Maeve, "I'm not sure if Fado needs any more help, but I'm sure one of the other farmers could use some help with their animals."

"I'm not really looking to set down any roots here," Maeve cringes slightly, "As soon as Mina's ready, we are going to be heading home."

Link shrugs, trying not to show that it bothered him to hear about Mina leaving, "It was just a suggestion. Besides, when you work on a farm, they will usually let you take part of your pay in eggs or milk or whatever else they have. Part of my pay from Fado is milk and cheese. Ordon isn't exactly "big" so we kind of use a trading system here along with rupees."

Again, Maeve was only half paying attention. "Why don't we just use Mina's bag? She can pay for whatever we need."

"Actually, I think it would be better not to use that," Link begins. When Maeve glares at him, he quickly explains, "It's just that, people would start to get suspicious if she keeps handing out rupees like they're nothing. In a village the size of Ordon, word spreads fast and I don't want people to think there's something weird going on here."

Maeve grumbles out an agreement, "I… suppose that makes sense."

"Besides, if there's suddenly a bunch of extra rupees going around Ordon, prices might start to go up. It's fine in Castle Town, but here…" Link trails off, not really sure how to word his thought.

Maeve rolls her eyes, "Yeah, I get it. Claude warned us about that back home. That it would mess up the economy or something like that. Whatever, I'll get a job."

Link sighs, "Okay." Both fall into silence as they work, moving from one area of the field to the other with Link pulling the cart along with them. By mid-day they have nearly a quarter of the field harvested and together they pull the cart over towards the barn. Link turns to Maeve as they head back towards the house for lunch, "Thanks for your help, Maeve. This is going a lot faster with two people."

Maeve grunts in response, "Yeah, well… I'm only doing this because of Mina."

"Still, I really appreciate it," Link smiles at the girl, earning an eye roll in response. As they enter the house, they are greeted by the smell of stew and bread, fresh out of the oven.

Mina pops her head out of the kitchen as Link and Maeve walk into the house. "Hey! Lunch is almost ready. I already set the table so you guys just need to go wash up."

"Alright," Link smiles at Mina before turning to Maeve, "Why don't you go first?" Maeve shrugs before heading towards the bathroom, the door clicking shut behind her. Link moves towards the kitchen as Mina pulls the stew off the stove. "Thanks for cooking, Mina. It smells amazing."

Mina giggles, blushing slightly, "It's not a problem, really. With you and Maeve out working hard in the fields, it's the least I could do. Besides, it's kind of fun, being able to cook for you guys like this. I think… I did this back home, too."

"Well, I'm just glad we're not bothering you," Link chuckles nervously, "I want you to be comfortable here, so if you ever want to take time for yourself and just relax, let me know and I'll take care of the cooking."

Mina smiles warmly over at Link, "It's fine, Link. I like being able to take care of you guys." Link can feel his heart thump in his chest as he watches Mina carry the stew pot over to the table. Maeve soon exits the bathroom and Link hurries in after. Placing a hand over his chest, Link takes a moment to lean against the door. _Just her smiling and my heart starts to beat faster._ Link sighs heavily, shaking his head. He quickly washes his hands and face, scrubbing the sweat off the back of his neck before rejoining the two women in at the dining table for lunch.

Once the food is gone, Link and Maeve head back out to continue their work. There was still about half of the crops yet to be harvested by the time they head back indoors, but Link felt good about the amount they were able to get through in just one day. Over dinner, the three sit at the table and discus which farm Maeve could offer to help that winter. There were a few that were always a little shorthanded and would be happy for the extra help. Link even offers to speak to the farmers about Maeve helping out for a short while.

At the end of the meal, Link adds in, "I know you don't want to get too comfortable here, but it would be dangerous for you guys to travel during winter anyway. And you never know, you might just end up liking it here."

Maeve scoffs, rolling her eyes, "I _highly_ doubt that. Like I said before, as soon as Mina's ready, we'll be heading home. If we have to wait until after winter then fine but I _will not_ be settling down here. I doubt there's anything in this village that we don't have back home."

Link's stomach tightens and he searches for anything to say. Trying not to blush, he awkwardly suggests, "What if you meet someone you like here and they want to stay?"

Maeve gives Link a very cold look, "That's not going to happen. My tastes are pretty _specific_."

"O… kay?" Link isn't sure what else to say, so he lets the subject drop, "Do you want to bathe first, or can I go first?"

"You can wait," Maeve stands and strides towards the bathroom, grabbing a change of clothes from a bag matching Mina's. Link sighs heavily as the door closes behind Maeve. Link couldn't help feeling like he might have accidentally hit a nerve there, but Maeve was such an odd woman that he couldn't really be sure. He did know one thing, however; things were going to be a lot more complicated than he had first imagined.

Either way, he was going to take advantage of this moment alone with Mina. Making his way towards the kitchen, he takes the sponge from Mina's hand, surprising the girl. "Since you did all the cooking, I'll take care of the dishes," Link offers.

Mina giggles, moving to let Link take over, "Well, I suppose I can accept that." Mina stands to the side, watching Link for a moment before speaking up, "I hope Maeve didn't cause you any trouble today."

"No, actually she was a big help," Link glances back at Mina, before turning back towards the dishes, "We were able to get a lot more done today then I would have been able to do myself. We should be able to get the rest of the crops harvested by tomorrow. After that it's just getting it prepared for winter."

"How long do you think that will take?" Mina asks. She moves to stand next to Link, drying the dishes as he cleans them and putting them away.

"It'll probably take us a week or two," Link explains, "Shelling, pickling and canning. We will also have to take the wheat over to the mill in the village to be ground into flour. We can keep some of our provisions in the basement, but most will have to be kept in the root cellar in the barn." The two continue to discuss the food and how to make it last through winter until Maeve finally exits the bathroom.

"Your turn," Maeve calls out, poking her head into the kitchen.

"Okay," Link quickly finishes washing the dishes before heading to take a bath himself. Maeve watches as Mina puts the last dish away.

"So, what were you and _him_ talking about?" Maeve asks, following Mina out of the kitchen and over to the couch.

Mina rolls her eyes before explaining what will happen with the crops and how they were planning on rationing out the food over winter. "Link said that you guys can fish in the village and there's a farm with cuccos in town that we can get eggs from and he can get cheese from the farm _he_ works at, so we should be able to get through winter just fine."

"Wow… he really thought all that through?" Maeve actually sounded a little impressed.

Mina nods, a proud smile on her face, "Yeah, since Link has been living here by himself for so long, he's really gotten all of this planned out."

"What do you mean?" Maeve asks.

Mina looks a little surprised, "Didn't you notice? Link doesn't have any family. He told me that he moved into this house as soon as he was big enough to take care of himself and has been living alone ever since. That's why there aren't any pictures of his parents anywhere."

Maeve glances around at what few pictures there were, "So… he's an orphan?"

Mina shrugs, "I don't really know. He said that when he was really small he kind of… found his way into the village. The mayor took him in until he moved in here."

"I… see," Maeve glances towards the bathroom door, "If I'm supposed to feel bad for him, I don't. I still hate him."

Mina sighs heavily, "I didn't tell you any of that to make you feel bad for him. And I'm sure that's not what he would want either. I just…" sighing again, "I want you to understand him and understand _why_ I admire Link. He's always taken care of himself. He's been living here on his own, working on a farm to support himself and," Mina drops her voice now, "a year ago he _saved Hyrule._ He's an amazing, brave person who should be admired, not pitied."

Maeve looks very uncomfortable with the praise Mina keeps giving Link, "Okay… can we talk about something else now? I was thinking, since I like cuccos, I would go work with them. We can get some fresh eggs that way."

Mina nods, "That sounds like a good idea."

"I was also thinking about trying my hand at hunting," Maeve suggests, "That way we could have some fresh meat every once in a while. Fish will get old before too long."

With a smile, Mina asks, "Do you think you'll be able to catch anything?"

Maeve shrugs, "Won't hurt to try."


End file.
